Some Cumbrian flood victims have been left so traumatised they have turned to using prescription drugs and alcohol as props.

The tough emotional legacy being endured by some victims of Storm Desmond came to light as figures from Cumbria Community Foundation revealed that 997, of the original 5,300 families made homeless in December, are still in temporary accommodation.

There is growing evidence that some of the worst-affected people are using alcohol and medications as a prop to deal with their stress.

That assessment is being backed up by another leading charity in the county, Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service, which says it has seen an increasing number of victims driven to drink.

Paul Hendy, who manages Carlisle's Spencer Street Flood Recovery Centre, which is funded by the foundation, said that for some victims the December flood was the straw that broke the camel's back.

He said: “When an incident like that happens, it's a trauma – an unexpected event that has a pretty nasty impact on people's lives.

“People will already have had other things going on in their lives and for some this will have been the final straw. It's just too much.

"But a lot of people won't to admit that they are not coping, and they'll bottle it all up. And then they may start self-medicating.

“In practical terms, for some people that will mean alcohol; or people who have already been on medication may up their dose until they get the required effect.

"Other people who may have previously given up smoking take it up again.”

Mr Hendy said that such reactions – characterised by feelings of numbness, anxiety, and a feeling that you have lost control of your life – are entirely natural and people can best help by listening.

"One of the biggest sources of stress are builders, loss adjusters, and insurance officials,” said Mr Hendy.

“It's the ongoing aftermath of trying to get your home repaired.”

CADAS's North Services Manager Helen Lawrie said: “We have seen an increasing number of people accessing our service on a one-to-one basis who maybe had issues before the floods and have now become more vulnerable.

“People may have gone from having the occasional glass of wine to half a bottle a night. "We find that some people are also addicted to prescription drugs; those who normally wouldn’t are going to their GP for an antidepressant and six months or a year on are still using it to cope.

“Some people feel that nothing has changed in terms of extra flood defences or infrastructure and they have an ongoing anxiety that it is going to happen again this winter. “Thanks to support from Cumbria Community Foundation, we are launching courses around the county to help those who need it to develop their resilience. There’ll be one in Carlisle, one in Kendal and one out west.

"It’s called ‘Mindfulness’ and it helps people to stop feeling anxious, to think more clearly, to cope better and to have clear plans and strategies for when they have an anxious thought and then think what if, what if, what if.

“We can’t change their circumstances, we can’t help get them back home any quicker or prevent another flood, but we can give people tactics to help them cope better.”

With winter approaching, Cumbria Community Foundation is relaunching its Flood Recovery Appeal - not for more donations but for people who may need it to ask for financial help.

Andy Beeforth, the charity's chief executive, said: “We know there are people out there who were flooded and still haven't come forward for help.

“We think this is partly because some people still think they are not eligible for a grant or that someone else is in greater need.

"It’s also partly because some people who had insurance are still waiting to see what they are not covered for.”

Cumbria Community Foundation raised more than £10m to help anyone financially affected by last December’s floods.

Anyone who is suffering hardship can apply, even if they had house and contents insurance. There are also grants of up to £2,000 to help households protect their properties from a future flood.

So far £5.7m has been distributed. Visit www.cumbriafoundation.org for information.