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.

How Stress in the Workplace Can Lead To Addiction

Where you work, its conditions, the job role and maybe even other co-workers can have a massive impact on how stressed you can become. You can learn ways of dealing with stress but if you find yourself unable to cope it could lead to complications such as addiction to drugs, alcohol and other substances to […]

How to Deal With Addiction in the Workplace

In the Workplace – Alcohol & Drug Problems Employer Support If you believe that an employee or colleague is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, do not wait until a crisis occurs before taking action. If you are in this situation, this section will provide help and guidance. The Cost of Stress to Business According […]

Functional Alcoholism at Work

Is There a Problem with Functioning Alcoholics at Work? There are a number of dangers associated with employee alcohol and drug addiction problems. In addition, one employee’s behaviour may have implications for the productivity and emotional well-being of the entire workplace. It can cause disagreements between colleagues if the person suffering from addiction problems becomes […]

How to Help a Functional Alcoholic

A functional alcoholic, or someone with functional alcoholism is someone suffering from alcohol addiction who manages to sustain – or appear to sustain – a normal life. They may not exhibit the usual signs of alcoholism, such as dysfunctional relationships and difficulties at work, but still meet the definition of alcoholism. Should a Functioning Alcoholic […]

How Can You Tell if Someone is a Functioning Alcoholic?

The only person suitable to make the diagnosis of alcoholism is a qualified health professional. However, if you suspect you, or someone you know may be a functioning alcoholic, there are signs that you can look out for: If someone meets the above criteria, it is advisable that they seek help from their GP/doctor immediately. […]

What is a Functioning Alcoholic?

A high functioning alcoholic is someone who meets the criteria for alcohol dependency but is able to maintain – or appear as if they are maintaining – a fairly stable life. Some common markers of alcoholism include difficulties at work, problems in relationships with family or friends, health problems, financial difficulties, and abusive behaviour. However, […]

Are You a Problem Gambler?

Problem Gambling Questionnaire If you think that you may be a problem gambler, ask yourself these questions (Taken from The American Psychiatric Association’s Manual for Diagnostic and Statistics about Mental Disorders): If you answered yes to these questions, then you should seek help. Smarmore Castle’s admissions team is available on helpline to answer questions about […]

Amphetamines Withdrawal Symptoms

During detox from amphetamines, users can experience a variety of withdrawal symptoms. These could be mild or severe, and their duration depends on a number of factors.If you, or someone you know, is seeking help for amphetamine addiction, contact us immediately. Some of these symptoms disappear after the last traces of the drug have left […]

Why Abstinence is Key for Recovery

Abstinence is The Only Way to Treat Addiction At Smarmore Castle, our programme helps patients to achieve long-term sobriety from drugs or alcohol. We believe that abstinence is the only way for a person to truly recover from addiction. It is very unlikely that after being addicted, the person will be able to use drugs […]

How to Cope With the Stigma of Addiction

Stigma is one of the hardest things people who suffer from alcohol or drug misuse have to deal with. Many people hold a negative, discriminatory attitude towards people with addiction issues. Among people suffering from any type of mental health problems, 9 out of 10 say they have experienced stigma. Some even claim that experiencing […]

How to Talk to Someone With Alcoholism or Drug Addiction

Reaching Out to an Addicted Person Having someone close to you who abuses drugs or alcohol is very difficult. People are often unsure of the right approach to take, so in some cases may simply ignore the problem, hoping the individual will get better by themselves. In other cases, people are scared to broach the subject […]

Support for Coping With Addiction

If you think that you are addicted to alcohol or drugs, or know someone who is, these pages will help you to cope with the situation. At some point in their lives, many people will have a family member, partner, friend, colleague or acquaintance who is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. In these situations […]