FAFS Family & Friends Support | Non-profit organisation

FAFS Family & Friends Support

Phone: +61 447 973 044

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• Community group
• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation
• Addiction resources centre

24.01.2022 This is a friendly reminder that we are conducting a Peer Support Meeting tomorrow at 1pm. Our facilitators have big hearts and plenty of "lived" experience in having a friend or family member battling addictions. Let's not gloss this experience over.....it can be very, very tough, particularly if you are a single parent. ... Our organisation have some fabulous resources to draw upon that are very helpful to get you through this trauma. These resources have been tried and tested in other rural areas across regional Victoria and NSW. The Peer Support Session time is mostly consumed in discussing how these strategies may or may not work in individual situations. This time is valued by our participants and sharing of personal circumstances is up to each individual. You may just wish to listen and observe. All discussions are treated with utmost respect, and without judgements being formed. Each attendee must agree to a set of rules which include a clause about keeping information shared at sessions confidential. Recovery is possible for your loved one and FAFS can help you on this journey. The goal of our organisation is to help families become more resilient, and eliminate feelings of being isolated by the behaviours of their addicted loved one. If you have any questions please phone Eddie on 0447973044.

19.01.2022 Do you notice your adult children or friends on-line gambling habits? Older parents may think that their teenage or adult children are just checking the social media when the footy is on, but is it possible that they are gambling? On- line gambling advertisements seem to be on the TV so much these days. In the past when we had a gambler in our midst, we might see TAB tickets lying around, but these days we don't even have to get up off our lounge chair to gamble. It can all... be done on our portable devices. A simple punt on the footy , .........or two ..........or three, can soon turn into a problem. Gamblers usually like to brag about their wins, but do you ever hear them talk about their losses? Gambling addictions can quickly escalate into a big problem. Behaviours can change and habits become more secretive. Money and things start to disappear from around the house, and relationships in shared houses can become strained when funds seem to vaporize. FAFS Peer Support Sessions can help the friends and families of the addict. We can't fix the addiction, but can help those arose around the addict to become more resilient. One comment that we hear in our peer support sessions is: he/she tried to keep their gambling from me, but I knew it was a web of lies to hide what was going on ... I never knew when to believe him/her Have you experienced, or know of someone going through similar circumstances? The members of the FAFS Board have personal experience living with another’s addictions, as children of addicts, as parents of addicts, and as spouses. We know that we are not alone. FAFS Peer Support Sessions can help strengthen your resilience in these difficult periods. Our next session is happening this Wednesday- 14th October. Contact us if you would like to know more or have any concerns about privacy of information shared in group sessions.

17.01.2022 What lies beneath the addiction - for many....

12.01.2022 I’ve got a confession to make. When I was sick, and not sure whether I wanted to live or die, I used to harbour visions of going to Africa (my country of b...irth) and working with orphans. I had so much love to give, and I so badly wanted to give ... that I thought it was a perfect fit for someone who couldn’t be a Mum. Then, in early recovery, I realised that my own back yard in rural Australia was my Africa. The thing I needed and wanted had been staring me in the face all along. And the old saying charity begins at home smacked me between the eyeballs. And I got to work. As you all know, my attempt to give to others via the suggested method of running recovery support meetings never did work. I tried that. The sheer impossibly of anyone being anonymous in a small rural down quickly became evident. And eventually - 15,000 hours later - SITC and connecting rural peers online was how it all took shape. Helping others remains the most pivotal aspect of my sobriety, and if you’re stuck, I recommend it wholeheartedly as a cornerstone of moving ahead from self pity into service. If you would like to help us, we need the help, too. We are a tiny bush charity with no government funding or support, and every bit of help we get enables us to stay that way. Link on 8 ways you can help us is here, below in the comments. Much love Shan x See more

10.01.2022 Stages of Addiction.

09.01.2022 If circumstances are getting you down, it may be helpful to get outside and enjoy nature. Perhaps a walk around your neighbourhood or one of our beautiful parks around the Snowy Valley Council. The Duck Park in Tumut is so glorious this morning (let's face it.....it is beautiful all the time). A good walk is great for de-cluttering your mind.

08.01.2022 Mark your calendar -Tuesday 10 November. SBS will be commencing a four part series - "Addicted Australia" . The series will show how ten Australians and their families as they battle addiction. https://www.sbs.com.au//gripping-documentary-follow-austra

05.01.2022 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158137941908884&id=371669278883

05.01.2022 We are all different, and self-care is different for each of us. But different types of self-care can work at different times for you. Don't confine your idea o...f self-care- Define what self-care is for you in different scenarios. E.g. What self-care do you need if you are stressed? What self-care do you need when you are tired or sad? Self-care will look different for you when you're well than when you're struggling, so it makes sense during Covid we may need to try new techniques. Thanks to @draclucette for today's helpful graphic #selfcare #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #walkntalkforlife

03.01.2022 Just in case you missed it.......

01.01.2022 Please see attached a valuable resource provided by one of the organisations that have helped FAFS to educate attendees at our Peer Support Meetings on strategies on how to cope with a friend or loved one battling addictions. Addictions come in many forms. These may be gambling, alcohol and other substance abuse, shopping, pornography, social media, gossiping etc, etc, etc. Pod casts are another tool that we can use to understand that other people are going through the same... or similar issues that we are. Straight From the Source presents the real-life stories of people affected by alcohol and other drugs, as well as relevant perspectives from other experts and professionals. The show is brought to you by the Association of Participating Service Users (APSU), which is a service of the Self Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC). APSU is a Victorian consumer body that believes the voices of people with lived experience of AOD issues should be heard and incorporated into service design and delivery. SHARC have established a great net work of peer support groups in Victoria, and have been very supportive to the FAFS board to get us up and running. Their great team have been guiding us on how to maximise learning opportunities using tried and tested methods. We feel very blessed to have this professional support. We would be keen to receive some feedback about the podcasts.