Addiction Resources

Addiction resources can provide support to people who are in recovery or working toward recovery, including support groups, online forums and helplines.

Treatment and recovery are ongoing processes when someone is experiencing a substance use disorder. Recovery can include some challenges along the way, but numerous resources help create a support system. These resources and organizations that can help wherever you are in your recovery journey.

Addiction Resources

These national organizations provide resources for people and their families dealing with an addiction to drugs or alcohol.

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA has a National Helpline, also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service. It’s confidential, free and available anytime in English and Spanish. The National Helpline is reachable at 1-800-662 HELP (4357).
• NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Part of the National Institutes of Health, you can contact NIDA by visiting their website or using the general inquiries line at 301-443-641.
• NIH National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH): The NIMH is the leading federal agency for research on mental disorders. They can be reached by live online chat when visiting the website, or you can call 1-866-615-6464.
• To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA): This nonprofit helps people dealing with addiction, depression, self-injury and thoughts of suicide. You can text TWLOHA to 741741 to contact the organization and connect with immediate help.
• Veterans Crisis Line: For veterans dealing with addiction or mental health concerns, the Veterans Crisis Line can be reached by dialing 800-273-8255 and pressing 1.
• SMART Recovery: The SMART Recovery program is a free option to help anyone dealing with an addiction. The program includes meetings worldwide and online resources to help people feel empowered to overcome their addiction based on science and evidence. Anyone interested in learning more can submit a contact form on the SMART Recovery website or call the organization at 440-951-5357.
• Shatterproof: The Shatterproof organization is working to end the addiction crisis in America. Anyone interested can visit the Shatterproof website to learn more about available resources and how to get help.  

Drug-Specific Resources

These resources, groups and organizations are dedicated to helping people with specific types of addictions.

• Alcoholics Anonymous: AA is a 12-step program that provides support and community for those with an alcohol addiction. For more than 80 years, the program has been helping members with their recovery.
• Al-Anon: These are family groups for loved ones and people who care about someone with an alcohol use disorder. You can learn more about meeting information by calling 1-888-4AL-ANON (1-888-425-2666).
• Cocaine Anonymous: A 12-step program, Cocaine Anonymous is for people dealing with an addiction to cocaine who want to recover. Interested people can learn more about Cocaine Anonymous by visiting the website. You can then click on your location to find meeting options near you.
• Crystal Meth Anonymous: CMA helps people come together and share experiences, personal strength and hope with each other to recover from crystal meth addiction. The only requirement to be a member is the desire to stop using crystal meth. The organization has a 24-hour helpline available at 855-METH-FREE.
• Heroin Anonymous: HA is a fellowship of women and men who want to work on building a life free of an addiction to heroin. On the HA site is a meeting finder.
• Marijuana Anonymous: This 12-step fellowship is built on the Twelve Traditions and uses the 12 Steps of Recovery founded by Alcoholics Anonymous. Again, the only requirement to be a member of Marijuana Anonymous is a desire to stop using marijuana.
• Dual Recovery Anonymous: DRA is a 12-step program that helps people with dual diagnoses. The goal is to help people with an addiction and a psychiatric or emotional illness. The two requirements for membership are the desire to stop using drugs or alcohol and to manage the mental illness in a constructive, healthy way.
• Narcotics Anonymous: NA is a global community founded in 1953. The fellowship for men and women helps people with drug addictions who want to get together regularly to support sobriety.
• Nar-Anon: Like Al-Anon, Nar-Anon is a 12-step family group for people affected by another person’s drug addiction. You can contact a toll-free number to learn more about Nar-Anon at 800-477-6291, or you can visit the website to get information and find meetings.

Specialized Resources

Resources geared specifically toward certain groups of people struggling with addiction include:

• LGBT National Help Center: This nonprofit has a hotline for all ages, which is available at 888-843-4564. There’s also a senior hotline, which is reachable at 888-234-7243. For youth, the talk line number is 800-246-7743.
• The Trevor Project: A national organization, The Trevor Project offers mental health and suicide prevention support for LGBTQ youth. On their website, you can contact the organization to chat online and text or call by phone.
•  National Council on Seniors Drug and Alcohol Rehab: For seniors, this resource is a nonprofit offering access to information on addiction in seniors and a directory of treatment centers that offer specialized care for seniors.
• National Institute of Drug Abuse for Teens: This website provides information for teens and their families affected by substance use disorders. There are informational resources on the site specifically for parents trying to find treatment options for their children.
• Department of Veterans Affairs: For veterans and their spouses, the VA offers options for screening and assessing drug and alcohol use disorders, treatment information and guides to varying services and programs.
• Women for Sobriety: As a nonprofit, this organization combines an online community with in-person meetings so that women struggling with substance use disorders can connect with help.

Helplines

Some of the helplines available nationally have been highlighted above, but there are others.

• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now reachable at 988. This three-digit dialing code will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for people experiencing distress or a crisis. When contacting this number, people can access mental health crisis services in their local community.  
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline (NAMI) is available at 1-800-950-6264, or you can text NAMI at 741741.
• The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids helpline is 1-855-4373. You can also text 55753.

Forums

Many addiction resources include in-person meetings, but there are opportunities to connect with social support and help online. The following are forums where people can engage with one another and receive support if they’re struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol or have mental health concerns.

• Addiction Recovery Guide Forums: If you go to this site, you’ll find a message board with many active members and frequently updated threads. You can find message boards on specific topics, such as drug type, success stories, recovery diaries and milestones.
• Talking Sober: These message boards and addiction forums are for people in recovery. The community takes member safety seriously, so some guidelines have to be followed when posting.
• PsychForums: You’ll find a lot of different message boards with topics focused on mental health. This includes addictions.
• The Recovery Zone: This collection of forums is a place to come together and discuss anything related to addiction and recovery, including 12-step programs, drug addiction, eating disorders, sex addiction and gambling addiction, among others.
• E-AA Group: An online set of forms for Alcoholics Anonymous, there are often thousands of posts in frequently updated threads.
• The Tribe Wellness Community: This peer-to-peer support platform centers on mental health. There is an AddictionTribe and many others, including DepressionTribe, and a peer-to-peer support group for people with depression or bipolar disorder.

Get The Help You Need Today

Our Recovery Advocates can assist if you’d like to find information about our outpatient treatment programs for addiction and other mental health conditions. Our outpatient treatment program is in Highlands Ranch, just 17 miles from downtown Denver. If you’re ready to take the next step and begin treatment, contact us to get started on your recovery. if you get in touch.

Editor – Abby Doty

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Medically Reviewed By – Danielle Boland

Danielle is licensed clinical social worker, currently living and practicing in central Connecticut. Read more