Lean on Me is purely focused at providing support to the family & friends who are supporting loved ones suffering an alcohol, drug or gambling addiction or a related mental illness.

As your host and someone who has over 20 years of ‘lived experience’ with cocaine addiction, multiple rehab visits, couch surfing, reaching absolute rock bottom, and even an attempt on ending my life, I was fortunate enough to survive those very dark days all thanks to some unique and special human beings: my family and friends, the carers or as we also call them, your tribe.

I’ve created this podcast series because I came to realise that my family and friends really had no understanding of an addicts’ mindset and especially the mindset around survival when in an addictive state of mind – they also had no education and information to support them in how to deal with me and the situation I was in and they didn’t know where to look or what to do for help.

So, I’ve made it my purpose to provide a platform where you can hear from others sharing their own real-life stories and experiences; the good, the bad, the ugly, where they made mistakes and where they had wins. The purpose of this podcast is that you get some learnings from others with lived experiences that can help you in your journey moving forward.

Resources available:

• Family Drug and Gambling Help (Victoria) - 1300 660 068 or www.sharc.org.au/sharc-programs/family-drug-gambling-help
• Family Drug Support (National) - 1300 368 186 or www.fds.org.au and www.fds.org.au/coping-tips/setting-boundaries/
• Directline (Victoria) - 1800 888 236 or www.directline.org.au
• AOD pathways - www.directline.org.au/aod-pathways
• Counsellingonline - www.counsellingonline.org.au
• National Alcohol and Drug Hotline - 1800 250 015
• 1800 Ice Advice (Victoria) - 1800 423 238
• Cracks in the Ice – www.cracksintheice.org.au/
• 1800 Respect (National) – 1800 737 732 or www.1800respect.org.au
• Youth Drugs and Alcohol Advice (YoDAA) - https://yodaa.org.au
• Youth Support & Advocacy Service (YSAS) - https://ysas.org.au

Mental Health Support

• Mental health care plans - www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/mental-health-care-and-medicare?context=60092
• Mental Health First Aid: www.mhfa.com.au and some factsheets/guidelines: www.mhfa.com.au/mental-health-first-aid-guidelines
• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 www.beyondblue.org.au
• Black Dog Institute: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
• Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Sane: www.sane.org/
• Headspace: 1800 650 890 www.headspace.org.au 1
• Alcohol and Drug Foundation (Drug Facts) www.adf.org.au/drug-facts/