Reviewed byNurlan Isayev, MDAddiction psychiatrist, experience 10 years · updated 8 Nov 2026
Key facts
- Who provides it
- An addiction doctor and a psychotherapist experienced in family work
- Where
- At the clinic, at home in Astana, or by video call for the whole family
- Duration
- 60–90 minutes; a course consists of several sessions
- Anonymity
- No documents required; the conversation is protected by medical confidentiality
- When it is urgent
- Threats of violence, talk of suicide, severe intoxication — call 103 or 112
- Outcome
- An action plan, clear boundaries, and less anxiety in the family
What you should know
Living next to someone who drinks or uses drugs means being constantly on edge. You check their phone, listen for footsteps in the stairwell, invent explanations for the children and for colleagues. Over time this becomes the norm, and the family stops noticing how much its life has changed. A consultation for relatives is a place where you can stop for the first time and talk honestly about what is going on.
In Astana, relatives are often scattered across different districts and cities: a wife and children on the Right Bank, parents in a village, a brother working a rotational shift job. Each acts in their own way, and the person with the addiction easily finds someone who will feel sorry for them and give them money. Narcology 24 specialists help the family work out a common line of behavior, so that everyone says the same thing and nobody undermines the others’ efforts — even when they are far apart and communicate only by phone.
You Need a Consultation If You Recognize Yourself Here
- you are constantly thinking about whether he is drinking right now and cannot switch off
- you pay off debts, loans, and fines to avoid a scene
- you lie to your boss, your parents, or your children to cover for your loved one
- you have tried persuasion, threats, and tears, but nothing changes
- you feel guilty, as if you were to blame for their drinking or drug use
- you have insomnia and headaches, and you have stopped seeing your friends
- you are afraid to leave the children alone with this person
If two or three points apply, it is worth seeing a doctor. Phone advice is free and confidential. If life is at risk, call 103 or 112.
Why Addiction Affects the Whole Family
Specialists have long described codependency — a state in which the lives of loved ones begin to revolve around another person’s substance use. It is not an ICD diagnosis but a concept that helps make the problem visible. Relatives take responsibility for someone else’s behavior, control, rescue, and then get angry and burn out. This cycle sustains the addiction, even though the family sincerely wants to help.
International approaches such as the CRAFT program (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) show that when relatives change their own behavior — reward sobriety, stop smoothing over the consequences, take care of themselves — the person agrees to treatment more often. This is not manipulation but a well-thought-out strategy. With the demanding work schedules common in Astana, it is especially important for families to know which small daily steps actually work.
How a Family Consultation Works
Before the meeting, we ask you to briefly describe the situation: who is using, what, for how long, who lives together, whether there are children. During the consultation, the specialist listens to everyone who has come, goes through typical conflict situations, and explains what lies behind them. Then a plan is drawn up together: how to talk, what to stop doing, which boundaries to set. Relatives from other cities can join online.
A consultation does not replace help for the person with the addiction if they are in danger. If the person is in a serious condition, talks about suicide, is aggressive, or there is a threat of violence in the family, call 103 or 112, and if children are at risk, also call the police. If you yourself are feeling very bad, the specialist will advise you on how to get personal psychological or psychiatric help.
How we help
Education about the disease
The specialist explains that addiction is a disease with understandable mechanisms, not malicious intent. The family learns why the person makes promises and does not keep them, why they lie, and how cravings work. Understanding reduces guilt and anger and helps you react more calmly. Many relatives say that afterward they were able to breathe out for the first time in a long while.
Communication skills training
Loved ones learn to speak in a way that gets heard: when the person is sober, without accusations, with concrete observations and “I-statements.” Real conversations from your life are analyzed. The specialist will point out which phrases increase resistance and which leave the door open. This is a skill that can be practiced, and it gradually changes the atmosphere at home.
Boundaries and safety
The family decides what it will no longer do: give money, call the boss, bail the person out of debt. A plan is discussed for episodes of aggression and binge drinking — where to go with the children, whom to call. Separately, the specialist covers how not to leave an intoxicated person alone outdoors — in Astana’s frosts and strong winds, this is a real threat to life.
Support for the relatives themselves
Loved ones need help too: many have lived under stress for years and develop anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. At Narcology 24, relatives can continue sessions with a psychotherapist and, if needed, receive a consultation with a psychiatrist. Taking care of yourself is not selfishness — it is a condition without which you will not be able to help someone else.
Myths and facts
MythNothing can be done until he wants it himself
FactWaiting for “rock bottom” is dangerous: it may turn out to be an injury, the loss of a job, or an overdose. The family can influence motivation by changing its own behavior. Research on family programs shows that many people with addiction come to treatment precisely after their relatives have worked with a specialist.
MythOnly wives need a consultation
FactHelp is useful for everyone: parents, adult children, brothers and sisters, even close friends. Each plays their own role in the family system. Sometimes it is an adult son or a sister who becomes the person the addicted relative will listen to.
MythIf I stop rescuing him, he will die
FactBoundaries do not mean abandoning the person — they mean no longer taking on the consequences of their substance use. At the same time, safety remains the priority: if there is a threat to life, you call 103 or 112. The specialist will help you separate real help from supporting the disease.
How a home visit works
- Call or message usThe dispatcher answers 24/7 and in 3–5 minutes checks the person's condition, age, how long the drinking or use has lasted, chronic conditions and the address. No surname needed.
- The doctor sets offAn addiction doctor or psychiatrist comes with equipment and medication. Travel time depends on the district — usually within an hour. If inpatient care or an ambulance is needed, we'll say so straight away.
- Examination and treatmentBlood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, blood sugar if needed and a neurological check. Then an IV drip or other treatment as indicated, 1–3 hours.
- A plan for the next daysAdvice for the family on what to do overnight and tomorrow, phone follow-up and a repeat visit if needed.
- Further treatmentCoding, psychotherapy, rehab or psychiatric follow-up — once the acute state has passed and the person is ready.
Prices in Astana
| Online addiction doctor consultation | 10 000 ₸ |
| In-person addiction doctor consultation | 12 000 ₸ |
| Family consultation | 12 000 ₸ |
| Phone advice | free |
The final cost is agreed before treatment starts. Prices are in tenge and do not constitute a public offer.
Where to get help
Narcology 24 in Astana: our duty team makes home visits day and night, usually within an hour (all city districts and nearby settlements). Two branches for appointments and procedures — 6 Auezova St., office 37, Astana and 176 Imanova St., Astana. When indicated, we arrange admission and transport.
Confidential and private
Information about your request, diagnosis and treatment is protected by medical confidentiality under the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”. We do not share it with employers, schools, the police or neighbours; the only exceptions are those expressly set by law. A first name is enough to call us, and paid confidential treatment does not mean a registry entry.
Questions and answers
Does the person with the addiction have to know about the consultation?
No, that is your decision. Many people come secretly to understand the situation first. Later, you can tell them about the meeting if it helps the conversation. The specialist will suggest how to do this so that the person does not see it as a conspiracy against them.
How many sessions will be needed?
Often the first consultation already brings relief and clarity. Lasting change usually requires several sessions one to two weeks apart, so the family has time to try new approaches and discuss the results. The number depends on the situation and on what you are seeking.
Can the whole family come, including the children?
Adult family members can come together. Children’s participation is discussed separately: teenagers are sometimes invited to part of the session, while younger children are helped through their parents. The specialist will help you decide what to explain to a child, and how, depending on their age.
What should I do if he is aggressive?
Your safety matters more than any persuasion. If there is a threat of violence, go to a safe place and call 102 or 112. During the consultation, the specialist will help you draw up a safety plan: where to go, what to keep at hand, whom to turn to. Aggression while intoxicated is a reason to seek serious help.
Can the consultation take place online?
Yes, this is convenient if family members live in different districts of Astana or in other cities. An online session is just as substantive as an in-person one. The main thing is to choose a time when nobody will interrupt you and a place where you can speak openly without fear of being overheard.
Do you help if the relative is at breaking point themselves?
Yes. If you feel constant anxiety, insomnia, or despair, or are thinking about self-harm, tell the specialist. You will be offered personal help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. If you have suicidal thoughts, call 103 or 112 immediately; young people can also use the 150 helpline.
Where do doctors visit in Astana and where are the branches?
Home visits cover all city districts and nearby settlements, 24/7. Appointments at two branches: 6 Auezova St., office 37, Astana and 176 Imanova St., Astana. Phone in Astana: +7 (700) 309-30-17.
Sources and methodology
This page was prepared by the Narcology 24 medical editorial team based on:
- International Classification of Diseases ICD-10 and ICD-11, World Health Organization
- Clinical diagnosis and treatment protocols of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”
- NICE (UK) guidelines on alcohol and drug misuse and mental health conditions
- WHO recommendations on the treatment of substance use disorders
This information is for reference only and does not replace a consultation with a specialist. Editorial policy
