Table of Contents
If This Is an Emergency
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a substance-use emergency or severe withdrawal, do not wait. Withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines, and certain other substances can become life-threatening very quickly. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. If there is any risk to someone’s life, emergency help comes first; everything on this page can wait until that person is safe.
Assisting at Every Step
We understand the vulnerability, frustration, and fear that people often feel when they reach out for help with addiction. That feeling is normal, and it is one of the reasons we make sure every person on our team has real experience with addiction treatment and can answer questions calmly and without judgment.
When you call, our phone representatives can help in a number of ways:
- Answer questions about alcohol and drug use, dependence, and addiction.
- Explain the treatment options available and how they differ.
- Walk you through what the rehab process actually looks like, so you and your family know what to expect at each stage.
- Help you find a program that fits the specific substance involved and the underlying causes of the addiction.
- Help you or your loved one take the next step into treatment, and point you toward additional resources when they are a better fit.
We try to make getting in touch as easy as possible. You can call our toll-free number to speak directly with a trained member of our team, or reach out through our contact form if you would rather start in writing. When you use the form, we aim to respond as quickly as we can.
Other Ways to Get Help
Picking up the phone is not the only way to start, and it is not always the easiest first step. If a call feels like too much right now, there are other options:
- Text and chat lines. Many national and local services offer text or live-chat support, which can feel less exposing than talking out loud, especially early on.
- Online therapy and counseling. Licensed therapists are available through video and phone platforms, often with same-week availability. This can be a good fit if you want professional support before committing to a treatment program.
- Outpatient and community resources. Local outpatient chemical-dependency agencies, community mental-health services, and sliding-scale or low-cost clinics can be more affordable starting points if cost is a concern.
- Support groups. Peer groups such as 12-step meetings, SMART Recovery, and family-focused groups like Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are free, widely available, and useful both for people in recovery and for the people who love them.
- Crisis lines. If you are in distress and need to talk to someone now, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the U.S.) connects you to a trained counselor any time of day.
There is no single right way in. The goal is simply to get connected to support, in whatever form feels manageable today.
Understanding the Different Kinds of Helplines
Not every helpline does the same thing, and reaching the right one saves time and frustration. A few of the most common types:
- Addiction and substance-use lines focus specifically on alcohol and drug use, treatment options, and referrals.
- Mental health helplines support people dealing with anxiety, depression, and other conditions, which often overlap with addiction.
- Suicide and crisis lines, such as 988, are for moments of acute distress or thoughts of self-harm.
- Specialized lines exist for issues like domestic violence, eating disorders, and other specific concerns, and can refer you onward when needed.
If you are not sure which line fits your situation, that is okay. A counselor on almost any of these lines can usually help you figure out where to go next.
Your Privacy and Whether You Can Stay Anonymous
Addiction still carries a lot of stigma, and for many people, reaching out feels like a private and exposing thing to do. We take that seriously.
All communication with our team is kept confidential. We do not disclose personal details, treatment plans, or the fact that you called to anyone. You can also call without giving your real name if you prefer; you are welcome to ask general questions and learn about your options before sharing anything that identifies you. The one limit on confidentiality is safety: if we have genuine reason to believe someone’s life is in immediate danger, we may need to involve emergency services to keep that person safe.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
You do not need to prepare anything to call, and there are no wrong answers. That said, a few details can help the conversation go more smoothly if you have them handy:
- A general sense of the substance or substances involved.
- Roughly how often and how much is being used.
- Any known mental-health conditions, diagnoses, or family history.
- Insurance information, if you plan to use it (it is fine if you don’t or aren’t sure).
- Any questions you want to make sure you ask.
If you don’t have these, call anyway. The person on the other end will help you work through it.
What Happens When You Call
The first call is mostly about listening and understanding your situation. The more our team understands, the better the guidance we can offer. You can expect a few questions along these lines:
- Whether you or your loved one is in any immediate danger.
- The type of substance or substances being used.
- How often and how much.
- Whether there are any diagnosed mental-health conditions, a family history of them, or symptoms you suspect.
- Whether you (or the person you are calling about) feel ready to seek help.
- How you might plan to pay for treatment, including whether you would use insurance.
You are never obligated to answer anything you are not comfortable with, and you can stop or take a break at any point.
Making the Call
Whenever you are ready, we are here. Our team of trained addiction specialists is available to answer questions and help you and your family understand the options in front of you, with no pressure to decide anything before you are ready.