Victoria McCann BA, MSc

Communications Director and 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 since 2012, 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.

man talking about alcoholism and alcohol abuse

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Fellowship Meetings – What to Expect

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a worldwide fellowship of people who meet in groups to address their problems with alcohol use disorder, also known as alcoholism. In these groups they share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The […]

Alcoholism Facts

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the nervous system, creating a ‘high’ or relaxed state in the drinker and a release from inhibitions. Alcohol has been described as the world’s favourite drug and the drug associated with the greatest level of harm; in 2014, there were 8,697 alcohol-related deaths registered in the UK (Scotland registered the […]

The Addiction Cycle – What Are The Stages of Addiction?

Introduction to the Cycle of Addiction Imagine you’re caught in a whirlwind, where each gust represents a stage in the addiction cycle: whether it’s drug or alcohol use, it often starts with experimentation, spirals into regular use, escalates to risky use, and finally, you’re trapped in the eye of the storm – addiction. It’s a […]

Cross Addiction: Substituting One Addiction For Another

The old adage “out of the frying pan, into the fire” means escaping one difficult situation only to find yourself in another. This is often what happens with cross-addiction. Cross-addictions occur when you swap one addictive behaviour for another, like overcoming a drug habit only to develop a problematic relationship with alcohol or food. No […]

The signs and symptoms of functioning alcoholics

Signs of Functional Alcoholism The diagnosis of a drinking disorder (or any substance use disorder for that matter) should be made by a trained healthcare professional. However, there are some common signs and symptoms that an individual may fit the definition of a functioning alcoholic: While substance use-related functional impairments (difficulties at work or school, […]

Functional Alcoholism & Work

Is there a problem with functioning alcoholics at work? The physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments associated with alcohol intoxication and alcohol withdrawal can compromise work performance in every area in any work setting, not to mention compromising safety for the individual and his or her colleagues. Many employers have specific policies prohibiting employees from being […]

Compulsive Hoarding and Addiction

What is Compulsive Hoarding? Compulsive Hoarding is a behaviour in which an individual loses their ability to control their desire or feeling of need to accumulate quantities of things over the amount they can reasonably use. This accumulation results in difficulty functioning in daily activities, and the items being hoarded appear of little or no value to outside observers. Hoarding behaviour can […]

How Long Is The Average Stay in Rehab?

How Long You Need to Stay In Rehab for a Successful Recovery? If you know that you have a drink or drug misuse problem, often one of the biggest concerns is how long it will take to recover. Whilst this is a legitimate concern, your first priority should be conquering the disease, not putting a […]

How to Prevent Relapse

Relapse Is an Unfortunately Common Occurrence Relapse is a common occurrence even after successfully completing treatment because addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease. When someone leaves treatment, they may feel confident that they have ‘beaten’ the disease. But relapse is most likely to occur within the first 12 months out of treatment. During this time […]

Shopping Addiction

The compulsion to spend money, regardless of need or financial means Much like other behavioural addictions, an addiction to shopping can lead to other problems in your life. Most often, people who are addicted to shopping struggle with debt and other financial problems as a result of their uncontrollable spending. While a shopping addiction can […]

Synthetic Cannabinoid (Spice, K2) Addiction

What are Synthetic Cannabinoids? Often referred to as ‘synthetic marijuana’ or ‘fake weed,’ spice and K2 contains a wide range of laboratory-made chemicals designed to mimic the effects of the well-known psychoactive compound in marijuana called THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. The combinations of chemicals in synthetic cannabinoids are changing all the time, leading to different effects […]

Reasons Why Inpatient Rehab Works

Why Rehab Works If you are considering going to rehab to help you recover from an addiction, you may be feeling at best daunted or at worst completely terrified. This is completely normal and a very common experience, as this is perhaps the first time in a while that you will be without drugs and […]