Recovery guides
Start with where you are right now — the guides below reorganize around your answer.
Last updated August 16, 2026
Plain-language guides on addiction treatment, individual substances, and mental health conditions that frequently occur alongside them — each one medically reviewed and sourced to federal health research.
How treatment usually unfolds
Most people move through some version of this sequence. Select a stage to see what it involves — not everyone starts at the beginning, and people move back a step when they need more support.
Detox
Supervised withdrawal management. Clinical staff monitor vital signs and treat symptoms until the body is stable enough for treatment to begin.
Read the detox guideAddiction treatment
What each level of care involves, start to finish
- Inpatient RehabLive-in treatment with 24-hour staffing, structured days, and a full break from the environment tied to substance use.Read the Inpatient Rehab guide
- DetoxSupervised stabilization at the very start of treatment, with clinical staff monitoring comfort and safety.Read the Detox guide
- OutpatientScheduled treatment sessions while you keep living at home, working, or caring for family.Read the Outpatient guide
- AftercareThe plan that keeps support in place once a program ends: alumni groups, sober living, and ongoing check-ins.Read the Aftercare guide
- TherapyIndividual, group, and family counseling that addresses what drives use and builds new coping skills.Read the Therapy guide
- InterventionsA planned, compassionate conversation that helps a loved one accept professional help.Read the Interventions guide
- Levels of Care ComparedDetox, inpatient, PHP, IOP, and standard outpatient side by side — intensity, structure, and who each setting fits.Read the Levels of Care Compared guide
Different addictions
Substance-specific effects, withdrawal, and treatment options
- AlcoholWithdrawal can be medically dangerous. What the timeline looks like and when supervised detox is necessary.Read the Alcohol guide
- Opioids & HeroinWithdrawal symptoms, medication-assisted treatment, and the overdose risk that follows a drop in tolerance.Read the Opioids & Heroin guide
- FentanylWhy fentanyl behaves differently from other opioids in detox, and what treatment has adapted to handle it.Read the Fentanyl guide
- MethamphetamineThe crash, the long comedown, and why behavioral treatment carries most of the weight in stimulant recovery.Read the Methamphetamine guide
- CocaineWhat withdrawal actually involves, the cardiac risks worth knowing, and which programs fit stimulant use.Read the Cocaine guide
- BenzodiazepinesNever stop abruptly. How medically supervised tapers work and why these stays run longer than most.Read the Benzodiazepines guide
- CannabisWhat regular cannabis use can look like over time, and what withdrawal and treatment generally involve.Read the Cannabis guide
- Nicotine & VapingNicotine dependence from cigarettes and vaping, and the treatments most often used to stop.Read the Nicotine & Vaping guide
Mental health
Conditions that frequently occur alongside substance use
- AnxietyPersistent worry, panic, and physical tension — how anxiety disorders are diagnosed and treated.Read the Anxiety guide
- DepressionLow mood, loss of interest, and fatigue that lasts — types of depression and what treatment involves.Read the Depression guide
- Trauma & PTSDHow trauma and PTSD show up, why they often overlap with substance use, and which therapies help.Read the Trauma & PTSD guide
- Bipolar DisorderMood, energy, and activity shifts that go beyond ordinary ups and downs — types, causes, and how treatment works.Read the Bipolar Disorder guide
- ADHDInattention, restlessness, and impulsivity in children and adults — evaluation, treatment, and the overlap with substance use.Read the ADHD guide
Support & guidance
Guides for families and for specific communities
- VeteransTreatment options for veterans and service members, including VA pathways and care for co-occurring PTSD.Read the Veterans guide
- LGBTQ+What affirming addiction treatment looks like, and how to identify programs that actually provide it.Read the LGBTQ+ guide
- For FamiliesGuidance for families and friends: what treatment looks like from the outside, setting boundaries, and finding support of your own.Read the For Families guide
- Find Local SupportFree help outside of treatment: naloxone, syringe services, and AA, NA, and SMART Recovery meeting directories.Read the Find Local Support guide
- College StudentsThe Collegiate Recovery Manual: an objective reference for students navigating substance use alongside academic life.Read the College Students guide
Show guides:
National helplines and official resources
- SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, 24/7
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741
- FindTreatment.gov — the federal treatment locator