The research was carried out by Healthwatch Essex and published in 2022.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic meant that some addiction support services were impacted causing them to temporarily shut down which heavily affected interaction with people in need of support. Subsequently, many people found their recovery journey more difficult with some relapsing during this period. his resulted in many falling into addiction which created a clear correlation with poor mental health either as a cause or effect of this. Healthwatch Essex captured the lived experience of those who are living with an addiction, who are in recovery and the ‘affected others’ allowing them to share the support available and some of the barriers to seeking this support
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