Where And How To Get Help For A Substance Use Problem

Addiction The fact of being addicted to a substance, thing, or activity. can be treated. About 22 million people in the U.S. are in recovery. Recovery is a process of change where people improve their health and wellness, live self directed lives, and work to reach their full potential. 

There are many types of substance Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. use. How substance Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. use affects a person’s life can vary. Recovery is personal and can happen in many ways. Treatment may include medication, a stay in a hospital setting, support in a community setting, peer A friend or someone you can talk to. support, or a combination of these. You may also have heard of 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). To find out more about different types of help read our article here.

 

Here’s where to call for treatment services:

• If you or someone you care about needs help with a substance Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. use problem, call the Alameda County Substance Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. Use Referral Helpline at 844-682-7215. This helpline is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week for screening and treatment referrals The act of officially sending someone to a person or authority that is qualified to deal with them. .
• If you’re outside of Alameda County you can also call the national helpline at 1-800-622-HELP (4357). The helpline offers free, private, 24 hours a day/7 days a week treatment referral and information (in English and Spanish) for people and families facing mental health A person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. and substance Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. use disorders.
  
   

What if they do not want help? 

Someone using substances Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. may not want to change or get help. You can encourage them to reduce the possibility of harm until they’re ready to stop. Harm reduction strategies can help reduce negative impacts of drug use. Here are some examples:

1. Changing to a lower dose to lower the risk of overdoses.
2. Taking turns using substances Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. in a group so someone is alert enough to help if there is an overdose.
3. Switching from injecting substances Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. to smoking or snorting. 
4. Making sure that at least one person in the group using substances Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. has Naloxone.
5. Not using alone. Making sure that you have a friend with you to watch out for you.
6. Syringe access programs provide sterile syringes, safer drug use supplies and education to people who inject drugs.
7. Learn about and share with other people what the signs and symptoms of an overdose are, and what to do in the event of an overdose. This can include sharing information and access to Naloxone, the drug that counters opioid overdose.
8. Overdose deaths from fentanyl have gone up in recent years. Many people consume fentanyl without knowing. Using test strips may help you know if there is fentanyl in the substance Something people use to cope with something. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. you are taking.

Harm reduction programs give out supplies like syringes, Naloxone, and fentanyl test strips. 

• If you live in California, you can use this map to find harm reduction programs near you.
• If you live in Alameda County contact the HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County (HEPPAC).
• If you live in an area of California that does not have access to harm reduction services, you can ask to have these supplies sent to you by mail.

Read more about the importance of designated drivers. 

In Your Corner is an Alameda County Young Adult Opioid Initiative led by the Alameda County Probation Department as part of a comprehensive Opioid Initiative To act or take charge before others do. funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.