YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Welcome to the COAP website!

COAP is a website with online forums for young people affected by someone else's addiction. The COAP website is run entirely by volunteers! As a peer led support network the COAP community continues to grow, with more and more young people coming together to share their experiences and support each other. You are not alone anymore!

Estimates suggest that 1 in 11 young people today live with parents who misuse alcohol and 350,000 young people in the UK have at least one parent who is badly addicted to drugs. And these are just estimates!! We could not find estimates for how many young people are affected by other addictions such as gambling. Young people visit COAP and read messages from other young people and learn that they are not alone, that it's not their fault and that there can be hope in what seems a hopeless situation. Young people also sign up and post messages and talk to other young people living in similar situations.

To read why COAP was set up visit Emma's Story.

 

**FREE ONLINE COUNSELLING**

**COAP now has a new free online counselling service for young people affected by addiction. This service has just been launched and we are all very excited to be able to offer more support to young people!! To find out more visit COAP Online Counselling. **

 

THE COAP TEAM

 

PEER LED RESPONDERS

COAP has a small and very dedicated team of people who respond to young people's messages. Peer led responders write to young people about their own experiences of living with someone's addiction which gives young people a rare opportunity to speak to someone who has been through it or is still going through it and knows that there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. We are always looking for more peer responder's visit Get Involved (new page coming soon) to find out more.

Sophie - "I joined COAP in 2007. When I was growing up with addiction the hardest thing I found was having no one else to talk to who would understand me. I always felt so different and alone. If I have the chance to help others feel less alone, by sharing my experiences I want to take it! And COAP provides this. COAP is also a support for me too. I know that if I ever need someone to understand or be there for me, COAP can provide that!"

Charl_89 - "Back in March 2008 I came across COAP when I was in despair with the family illness. After one post of pouring my heart out, I found all my answers. COAP has helped me so much in turning me back into my happy bubbly self. This is why I help in giving advice on my experiences, as there is hope even when you feel there is nothing else you can do. COAP has helped me and we will help you too."

Writer2009 - I really felt touched by others stories and being an adult of alcoholic parents who has come through the other side - I wanted to share this and help if I could. I was so frightened as a child and had no such resource. This website is so vital for anyone that needs a voice and an understanding ear.

Emma - "As the founder of COAP I respond to young people's messages, as I grew up feeling so alone and different and not knowing why. Knowing how lonely I felt as a young person, I hope that by writing to others and sharing my experiences that they may feel less alone in what for some can be a living nightmare."

MODERATORS

The COAP forums are pre moderated. This means that when someone posts a message a moderator will read through each message before it is posted in the forum. This is to make sure there are no personal details such as email addresses and telephone numbers to ensure COAP member's safety.

Moderator - Emma

Moderator - Sophie

COAP ONLINE COUNSELLOR - Joined COAP in January 2008 and has helped set up and develop the online counselling service. The counsellor works mainly with young people and has experience in schools, drug and alcohol centres, and a young offenders' institution. The counsellor will ask you about your feelings and where you feel them in your body. Sometimes the counsellor may encourage you to draw, paint, make something, play music or ralk about a film that was important to you. Everything is interesting and nothing is too small or too big. In addition to supporting young people in the online counselling service the counselling service the counsellor is at hand to help COAP respond to people's messages, attend events, promote COAP and support the COAP Team.

CHILD PROTECTION ADVISOR - Alison joined COAP in February 2009.

FOUNDER OF COAP - Emma is the founder of COAP. Emma runs the website, whilst Paragraphics look after all of the technical stuff. Emma responds to young people's emails when they contact COAP and to young people's messages in the forums. Emma talks about her experiences of living with addiction and the COAP website in the media, as well as speaking at conferences and events. "I feel very passionate about raising awareness about the effects that living with addiction can have in young people's lives, and informing others that there is support out there from COAP and other organisations."