Gaming, Gambling, Alcohol and Drugs

Many young people game a lot, try alcohol or experiment with drugs without it becoming a problem. It becomes a concern when it starts to take over: pushing out sleep, school, work or friendships, being used to cope with difficult feelings, or being hard to cut back.

Synapse works with young people aged 11 to 25 in two situations:

• Early on, when gaming, gambling, drinking or drug use is becoming a pattern but has not reached the point of needing specialist addiction treatment.
• After treatment, when a young person has completed addiction treatment and needs support to rebuild daily life and keep the changes going.

If your child is in immediate danger, has taken something and is unwell, or you cannot keep them safe, call 999 or go to A&E.

Signs it is becoming a problem

You might notice:

• gaming late into the night, or anger when asked to stop
• spending money they do not have, or hiding what they spend
• drinking or using drugs to relax, sleep or face social situations
• missing school, lectures or work after nights out
• dropping friends, sport or activities they used to enjoy
• secrecy, lying or changes in who they spend time with
• trying to cut down and not managing it

One sign on its own is rarely a cause for alarm. Several together, lasting weeks rather than days, are worth acting on.

What you can do now

Talk about it calmly. Ask what they get from it before saying what worries you. Gaming, drinking or using often meets a real need, such as relaxing, belonging or escaping something hard.

Agree limits together where you can. Limits a young person has helped set are more likely to hold than ones imposed on them.

Notice what it is replacing. Boredom, lack of routine and loneliness often sit behind heavy use. Filling the gap matters as much as cutting back.

Get support early. You do not need to wait until it is out of control.

How coaching helps early on

Coaching looks at what the gaming, gambling, drinking or drug use is doing for the young person, and builds alternatives that meet the same need. A Coach might work with them on:

• understanding their triggers, such as boredom, stress or particular people and places
• rebuilding routine, sleep and activities that used to keep them well
• setting their own goals for cutting down, and reviewing them each week
• practising what to say and do in situations where they would usually drink, use or play
• connecting with friendships and interests that do not revolve around it

Coaching is practical and works on everyday life. It is not addiction treatment, and it does not replace specialist services where they are needed.

Aftercare following addiction treatment

Leaving treatment is often when support drops away, just as a young person faces the routines, places and people of everyday life again. Coaching can help them:

• build a daily structure that supports recovery
• return to education or work
• rebuild relationships with family and friends
• recognise early warning signs and plan for difficult moments
• stay connected with recovery support, such as peer groups

Coaching works alongside the young person’s treatment team where possible, with clear roles and communication.

Where coaching stops and specialist help starts

Every programme begins with a clinical assessment. Synapse considers suitability and what support is needed, and builds a personalised care plan.

Coaching is not the right first step if a young person is physically dependent on alcohol or drugs, has withdrawal symptoms when they stop, is gambling in a way that is causing serious financial harm, or is putting themselves or others at serious risk. In those situations our clinical team will help you find specialist support. Coaching may then be part of their aftercare.

If anything changes during coaching, the clinical team reviews it and agrees the next step with you.

A relatable Coach

Every Synapse Coach has lived experience relatable to the young people they work with, and is trained and clinically supervised. A young person who feels judged is unlikely to be honest about what is really happening. A Coach they can relate to makes that conversation easier.

A relatable Coach builds the relationship.
The relationship creates engagement.
Engagement makes implementation possible.
Implementation creates change that lasts.

Read stories from young people we’ve worked with

Fees and how to start

• First conversation with Mollie: at no charge, with no commitment
• Clinical assessment and final clinical evaluation: £350
• Online coaching session (50 minutes): £95
• In-person coaching session (90 minutes): £190
• Programmes typically run for 10 to 12 sessions. Including the clinical assessment and final clinical evaluation, a full programme costs £1,300 to £1,490 online or £2,250 to £2,630 in person. Programmes that mix online and in-person sessions fall in between.

Mollie replies within one working day, and there is no waiting list. See our programmes and what happens next.

When to get urgent help

If your child has taken something and is unwell, is in immediate danger or you cannot keep them safe, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 111. See our urgent support page. Synapse does not provide crisis or detox services.

Start with a conversation

Mollie Royds, our Head of Client Experience and Care Management, will take time to understand what is happening. If coaching is the right support, she will explain the next step. If specialist help is needed first, she will help you find it.

Message Mollie