Victoria McCann BA, MSc

Communications Director & Editorial Lead

Victoria McCann, BA, MSc, is Communications Director & Editorial Lead at Castle Craig and a member of the clinic’s founding family. With over a decade of experience in addiction treatment communications, she leads the creation of clear, compassionate content that supports patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Victoria is committed to reducing stigma around addiction and mental health, and brings strategic insight and lived sector knowledge to her work. She regularly attends and organises addiction treatment conferences across the UK and Europe, promoting high standards of care and best practice in the field. Victoria also works with the media to raise awareness and share informed perspectives on addiction and recovery. The Herald, The Times, BBC, STV, The Times, New York Post, The Guardian.

Alcohol and Recovery on St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day is synonymous with alcohol and this can be difficult if you are in early recovery from alcoholism. Even with bars and pubs shut this St Patrick’s Day it is hard to avoid discounts on sales of alcohol in the shops, and news reports say that people will still be meeting in secret […]

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A man wearing a beige jumper talking to a therapist about heroin addiction.

Secret Drinking – How to spot the Signs Of Hidden Alcoholism

Hidden Signs of Alcoholism When someone you love struggles with alcohol addiction, the signs aren’t always visible on the surface. Many individuals with alcohol use disorders become remarkably skilled at concealing their drinking habits, maintaining professional responsibilities, and presenting a facade of normalcy while battling a serious condition behind closed doors. For families who suspect […]

Chest Pains After Drinking Alcohol

Causes, Symptoms and How to Help Picture the scene: it’s the morning after a hefty night before in Dublin’s pubs and clubs. You wake up, and alongside the hazy memories and bloodshot eyes, you also feel an ache in your chest. Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve experienced chest pain after a binge-drinking session with […]

People Consume More Alcohol in Colder Climates

The first academic report to have investigated the impact of weather on alcohol intake. Study found a clear negative correlation between climate factors – average temperature and sunlight hours – and alcohol consumption.

Quaaludes Addiction

Quaaludes were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s as a synthetic central nervous system depressant. It was originally introduced as a safe barbiturate substitute with people believing there would be no negative effects. Even though Quaaludes are no longer legal in the US, there are still people who are addicted and need to get […]

A photo of a man during an addiction therapy session during rehab at Smarmore Castle in Ireland

Environmental Factors in Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Just like genetics can have a factor in the chances of becoming an addict, the environment plays a big role too. If a person lives where they are surrounded by bars or drug dealers, the chances of becoming an addict can increase. It is important for schools and the community to expose teens to education […]

How You Can Be an Advocate for Recovery Everyday

Being an advocate for addiction recovery, it is when you develop actions and activities to influence decision makers to grow, establish, or change policies concerning drug laws. Europe has 218 drug law advocacy groups. One of them is the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) which provides overview of drug problems and […]

Why Society Views Addicts and Alcoholics Negatively

Addiction is classified as a medical disease, just as asthma and diabetes are diseases. However, society has long treated addiction in a much more negative light than other diseases. Even when conditions such as cancer and hypertension result from habits like smoking cigarettes or eating a salt-rich diet, we treat the disease without judging the […]

Some Addictions Are Legal

Prescription painkillers can be sourced from two places. One is from drug dealers on the street. Buying prescription pills, making dirty deals with pharmacists, buying imitation drugs from manufacturers- however dealers get their prescription painkiller drugs, they are able to sell them illegally. The other option for getting prescription painkillers is not illegal. In fact, […]

Relapse Prevention for Sex Addiction

After completing a residential treatment programme for sex addiction, it is strongly encouraged to spend as much time in a structured, clinical environment as possible where abstinence is advocated. At least six months of sexual abstinence of all kind is recommended for those in treatment for recovery sex addiction. Abstinence is a way to make […]

Alcohol and Anger: Causes, Dangers, How to Help

Everyone gets angry sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, when that anger becomes constant or uncontrollable, it can cause a number of issues. One of the things that can make anger even more difficult to control is alcohol. In fact, alcohol is often linked to violence and crime. Alcohol doesn’t cause anger, but it […]