How to Help Someone With an Addiction

Watching someone you love struggle with drugs or alcohol is exhausting and frightening. You can’t make the choice for them, but you can make help easier to reach and keep yourself steady while they get there.

How to Help Someone With Addiction: What Actually Helps

Start with how addiction works. NIDA describes it as a complex but treatable disease that changes brain function and behavior, and it says some people are more vulnerable than others because of genetics, the age they started and their surroundings. That doesn’t excuse harm, but it explains why willpower and lectures rarely work.

What helps, according to SAMHSA, NIAAA and NIDA: steady, kind conversations; encouraging positive steps instead of confronting; a plan ready for the moment they say yes, because NIDA says people can be lost if treatment isn’t readily available; family involvement once treatment starts; and support for you.

Pressure from family can matter too. NIDA notes that treatment doesn’t have to be voluntary to work, and that encouragement or consequences from family, work or the courts can increase how many people enter and stay in treatment. For most families, that means clear, loving boundaries.

How to Talk About It

SAMHSA’s advice for these conversations is simple and specific:

• Ask open-ended questions, ones that need more than a yes or no. Try: “What are the good things about drinking?” “What are the not-so-good things?” “What do you think you’d lose if you gave it up?” “How would you like things to be different?” “What do you miss?”
• Be curious about their fears. Fear of withdrawal, losing a job or being judged often sits under “I’m fine.”
• Name their strengths. SAMHSA warns that listing everything they’re doing wrong can close them off.
• Show you’re listening. Repeat back what you heard: “I heard you say you’re tired of feeling sick every morning.”
• Bring it together. At the end, sum up what they said and any steps they want to take. Ask how you can support them and whether you can check in later.
• Leave the door open. If they don’t want to talk, SAMHSA says to let them know you’ll be there when they’re ready.

Pick a calm moment when neither of you has been drinking or using.

Why Confrontation Backfires and What CRAFT Teaches

The TV version of an intervention, with a surprise meeting and an ultimatum, is not what the research favors. NIAAA says Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) has been shown to be more effective than confronting the person in an intervention. CRAFT teaches family and friends ways to encourage positive behaviors.

In everyday terms, that means noticing and making room for the times they’re sober, letting natural consequences happen instead of rescuing, and choosing your moment to suggest help. NIAAA adds that good treatment itself is built on empathy and motivational support and avoids confrontation. A counselor trained in CRAFT or family therapy can coach you; search the treatment finder or your state page.

Helping Them Into Treatment

When your loved one says yes, move quickly and keep it simple.

1. Call for a referral together. SAMHSA’s National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is free, confidential and open 24/7 in English and Spanish, for people who use substances and for family members. It refers callers to local treatment, support groups and, for people without insurance, state-funded programs. You can also text a ZIP code to 435748.
2. Get an assessment. FindTreatment.gov says everyone entering treatment gets a clinical assessment to find the right type of care. No single treatment is right for everyone, NIDA says. The levels of care tool explains the options, from outpatient to inpatient rehab.
3. Plan for safe withdrawal. NIAAA warns that suddenly stopping after long, heavy drinking can bring painful or dangerous withdrawal, including seizures. Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal need medical supervision, so don’t encourage quitting those cold turkey at home. See detox and withdrawal.
4. Ask about medication. For opioid use disorder, NIDA says methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone is the standard of care, and the FDA calls these medicines safe and effective. See medication for opioid use disorder.
5. Sort out payment. The payment checker shows what Medicaid, Medicare and private plans must cover.

Before they commit to a program, use the checklist in how to choose a rehab. It covers licensing and the warning signs of paid referral schemes that target worried families.

Taking Care of Yourself

SAMHSA says that hard conversations, watching someone struggle and constant change can wear you down and leave you feeling alone. Its suggestions:

• Set times to talk. If calls come at all hours, agree on a regular time and stick to it.
• Say what you will and won’t do. SAMHSA’s example: “I can pick up the mail and check on your apartment while you’re in treatment, but I don’t have the money right now to help you pay for treatment.”
• Widen their circle. Help them think of other people they can count on, so it isn’t all on you.
• Make time for yourself each day, even a walk, music or a journal.
• Find a support group. NIAAA names Al-Anon and SMART Recovery as mutual help groups where families support each other.

When It’s a Crisis: 911, 988 and Naloxone

• Overdose or medical emergency: call 911. If opioids could be involved, give naloxone, keep the person breathing and on their side, and stay with them until help arrives, as the CDC advises.
• Thoughts of suicide or emotional crisis, theirs or yours: call or text 988. The 988 Lifeline is free, confidential and open 24/7, including for alcohol and drug concerns and for people supporting someone else.
• Help finding treatment: SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357.

If anyone in your home uses opioids, keep naloxone where everyone can find it. It’s sold without a prescription, and many states give it away free.

Many states also run their own lines that connect callers to local treatment:

State	Line	Phone
Alabama	Alabama Department of Mental Health	1-800-367-0955
Arizona	Arizona Opioid Assistance and Referral Line (OARLine) (24/7)	1-888-688-4222
Arkansas	Mental Health & Addiction Support Line	1-844-763-0198
California	DHCS SUD Non-Emergency Treatment Referral Line	1-800-879-2772
Colorado	Colorado LIFTS care navigation (OwnPath Care Directory)	1-844-265-4387
Connecticut	Substance Use Services Access Line (24/7)	1-800-563-4086
Delaware	Delaware Hope Line (24/7)	1-833-946-7333
District of Columbia	Access HelpLine (24/7)	1-888-793-4357
Georgia	Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) (24/7)	1-800-715-4225
Hawaii	Hawai’i CARES (24/7)	988 (or 808-832-3100; toll-free 1-800-753-6879)
Idaho	Magellan of Idaho (DBH substance use disorder access line)	1-855-202-0973
Illinois	Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances (24/7)	833-657-7147 (or text HELP to 833234)
Indiana	Indiana 211	211
Iowa	Your Life Iowa (24/7)	855-581-8111 (text 855-895-8398)
Kansas	Carelon Behavioral Health of Kansas (substance use assessment and referral)	1-866-645-8216 (option 2)
Kentucky	Find Help Now KY	800-854-6813
Louisiana	Louisiana Substance Use Helpline	877-664-2248
Maine	Maine Crisis Line	888-568-1112
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline (24/7)	800-327-5050
Mississippi	DMH Helpline (24/7)	1-877-210-8513
Missouri	Division of Behavioral Health treatment help line	1-800-575-7480
Nebraska	Nebraska Family Helpline (24/7)	1-888-866-8660
New Hampshire	The Doorway	211
New Jersey	ReachNJ (24/7)	1-844-732-2465
New Mexico	New Mexico Crisis and Access Line (NMCAL)	1-855-662-7474
New York	NYS HOPEline (24/7)	1-877-846-7369 (1-877-8-HOPENY); text HOPENY to 467369
North Carolina	NC Peer Warmline (24/7)	855-PEERS-NC
North Dakota	Recovery Talk (24/7)	701-291-7901
Ohio	Bridge Line	614-466-7228
Oregon	Alcohol and Drug Help Line	1-800-923-4357
Pennsylvania	PA Get Help Now (24/7)	1-800-662-4357
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Buprenorphine Hotline (24/7)	401-606-5456
Tennessee	Tennessee REDLINE (24/7)	800-889-9789
Texas	Outreach, Screening, Assessment and Referral (OSAR) through 2-1-1 Texas	877-541-7905
Vermont	VT Helplink (24/7)	802-565-5465 (toll-free 833-565-5465)
Washington	Washington Recovery Help Line (24/7)	1-866-789-1511
West Virginia	HELP4WV (24/7)	1-844-435-7498 (1-844-HELP4WV)
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline	211 or 833-944-4673
Puerto Rico	Línea PAS (Primera Ayuda Sicosocial) (24/7)	1-800-981-0023

Involuntary Treatment Laws by State

Many families ask whether they can force a loved one into treatment. Most states have a law that allows some form of involuntary hold or commitment when substance use makes a person dangerous, and the laws differ a lot. A few are short protective-custody holds measured in hours, used when someone is incapacitated in public. Most of the others let a court order treatment after a petition and a hearing. Each has strict criteria and due-process rules.

These laws are a last resort for danger, not a shortcut to rehab. This page describes them so you know what exists; it isn’t advice to use one. If you’re considering it, talk with your state’s behavioral health agency or a lawyer first. In an emergency, call 911.

State	Type	What the law allows
Alaska	Court order	Family, a physician or a facility can petition for a 30-day commitment of a person incapacitated by alcohol or drugs or likely to harm others
Arizona	Emergency admission	Anyone may bring a publicly intoxicated person who has threatened or caused harm, or is incapacitated by alcohol, to an approved center for emergency evaluation
California	Hold and conservatorship	A person can be treated as gravely disabled if a severe substance use disorder leaves them unable to provide for food, clothing, shelter, safety or medical care
Colorado	Hold, then court order	A licensed detox program can hold a dangerous, intoxicated person up to 5 days; a court can then order up to 270 days of treatment
Connecticut	Court order	The Probate Court can commit a person to inpatient treatment on a petition from family or a physician
Delaware	Repealed	The Substance Abuse Treatment Act, which allowed court-ordered treatment, was repealed effective August 31, 2026
District of Columbia	Court order	On a petition from the Corporation Counsel, a court can commit a person in immediate danger for up to 30 days, or 90 days for a third commitment in 24 months
Florida	Court order	The Marchman Act allows involuntary assessment, stabilization and treatment for people with severe impairment who pose a significant risk
Hawaii	Court order	A court may commit an imminently dangerous person when no less restrictive option exists
Idaho	Short hold	Police take a person incapacitated by alcohol or drugs to a treatment facility, where they may be held no more than 72 hours
Iowa	Court order	Any interested person can apply to the district court when a person is a danger to themselves or others and can’t make sound treatment decisions
Kansas	Court order	A court can order care for a person incapacitated by alcohol or another substance and likely to cause harm
Kentucky	Court order	Casey’s Law lets a court order treatment for a person who is an imminent danger because of a substance use disorder and can benefit from treatment
Louisiana	Court order	Any adult can petition to commit a dangerous or gravely disabled person; an emergency certificate allows up to 15 days, extendable once
Massachusetts	Court order	Section 35: a court can commit a person likely to cause serious harm to inpatient treatment for up to 90 days
Minnesota	Court order	A court can commit a person whose habitual alcohol or drug use makes them unable to manage themselves and likely to cause physical harm
Mississippi	Court order	Anyone can file an affidavit with the chancery clerk, without a lawyer, and a judge can order treatment
Missouri	Court order	Chapter 632 allows involuntary treatment, with due process, for people unable to meet basic needs or in danger of harm
Montana	Court order	A court can commit a person who has threatened or caused harm or is incapacitated by alcohol, for an initial 40 days
Nebraska	Court order	A substance-dependent person posing a substantial near-term risk of serious harm can be treated under the Mental Health Commitment Act
Nevada	Short hold	Police must place a person under the influence of alcohol in a public place in civil protective custody, up to 48 hours in a facility
New Hampshire	Short hold	Police can take an intoxicated person into protective custody, which is not an arrest, for up to 24 hours
New York	Short hold	A person incapacitated by alcohol or drugs can be taken to a facility and held only until no longer incapacitated, at most 72 hours
North Carolina	Court order	Anyone can petition a clerk or magistrate, who can order a dangerous person taken into custody for examination
North Dakota	Court order	The commitment law covers substance use disorders when there is a serious risk of harm without treatment
Ohio	Court order	A spouse, relative or guardian can petition the probate court; the petitioner must guarantee payment of costs
Oklahoma	Court order	A court can order treatment for a person whose dependency makes them dangerous or unable to meet basic needs
Oregon	Short hold	Police or a crisis team take a person incapacitated or dangerous in public to a sobering or treatment facility, which must discharge them within 72 hours unless they agree to stay
Pennsylvania	Court order, minors only	Act 53 lets a parent or guardian petition the county court to commit a minor to drug and alcohol treatment
Rhode Island	Court order	A court can commit a dangerous person after a physician’s certificate and a hearing within 10 days
South Carolina	Emergency admission and court order	Any adult can seek emergency admission by sworn affidavit, and the law sets court proceedings for commitment
South Dakota	Court order	A court can commit a person who is dangerous, incapacitated, or pregnant and using
Texas	Court order	On clear and convincing evidence, a court can commit the person for 30 to 90 days
Utah	Court order	A relative can petition for essential treatment and intervention, including a commitment to pay for it
Washington	Hold, then court order	Ricky’s Law allows an initial 120-hour hold in a secure withdrawal facility and up to 14 days of civil commitment, for adults and teens over 13
West Virginia	Court order	Any adult can apply for involuntary hospitalization for examination of a person likely to cause serious harm
Wisconsin	Court order	Emergency commitment on a petition from a physician or family; involuntary commitment on a petition from three adults

The sources list at the end of this page links each statute or agency page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Stage an Intervention?

NIAAA says the CRAFT method, which teaches family and friends ways to encourage positive behaviors, has been shown to be more effective than confronting a person in an intervention. NIAAA also says the best treatment approaches avoid confrontation.

Is It My Fault That My Loved One Uses Drugs or Alcohol?

No. NIDA describes addiction as a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior, and says some people are more vulnerable than others because of genetics, age at first use and environment. You can influence what happens next, but you didn't cause the disease.

Can I Find Out What Happens in Their Treatment?

Only if they agree. NIAAA explains that addiction treatment records have extra legal protection, and a patient must be asked and explicitly agree before their records are shared with anyone. Those rules can limit what a program tells family members, so ask your loved one to sign a release if they're willing.

What if They Don't Want Help Right Now?

Keep the relationship going. SAMHSA says to let them know you'll be there when they're ready, and that it may take many conversations. Keep naloxone in the house if opioids are involved, and get support for yourself in the meantime.

Do I Need to Pay for Their Treatment?

No. SAMHSA's own example of a boundary is offering to pick up the mail while someone is in treatment but saying you can't pay for it. Help them use the payment checker and the guides to insurance and free and low-cost rehab instead.

Are Medications Like Suboxone Just Trading One Drug for Another?

No. NIDA says treatment with methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone is the standard of care for opioid use disorder, and the FDA says these medicines are safe and effective. NIAAA notes the three medicines for alcohol use disorder are non-addictive. See medication for opioid use disorder.

More on Help a Loved One

• Signs of AddictionWarning signs in behavior, health and daily life
• WithdrawalWhat withdrawal is like by substance and when to get medical help
• DetoxWhat medical detox involves, how long it takes and where to find it
• Inpatient RehabHow residential treatment works, short and long-term programs
• Outpatient RehabTreatment while you live at home, and who it suits
• Intensive Outpatient (IOP)IOP and PHP schedules and how they compare

This guide explains treatment options in plain language from official sources. It isn't medical advice; a clinician can assess what care fits your situation.

Sources

1. SAMHSA: How to Talk to Someone About Help for Mental Health and Substance Use
2. SAMHSA: Taking Care of Yourself
3. SAMHSA: National Helpline
4. NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator: Frequently Asked Questions
5. NIDA: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment, Third Edition (PDF)
6. NIDA: Treatment
7. FDA: Information About Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
8. SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov: What to Expect
9. CDC: If You Think Someone Is Overdosing
10. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
11. Alabama: Alabama Department of Mental Health
12. Arizona: Arizona Opioid Assistance and Referral Line (OARLine)
13. Arkansas: Mental Health & Addiction Support Line
14. California: DHCS SUD Non-Emergency Treatment Referral Line
15. Colorado: Colorado LIFTS care navigation (OwnPath Care Directory)
16. Connecticut: Substance Use Services Access Line
17. Delaware: Delaware Hope Line
18. District of Columbia: Access HelpLine
19. Georgia: Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL)
20. Hawaii: Hawai'i CARES
21. Idaho: Magellan of Idaho (DBH substance use disorder access line)
22. Illinois: Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances
23. Indiana: Indiana 211
24. Iowa: Your Life Iowa
25. Kansas: Carelon Behavioral Health of Kansas (substance use assessment and referral)
26. Kentucky: Find Help Now KY
27. Louisiana: Louisiana Substance Use Helpline
28. Maine: Maine Crisis Line
29. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline
30. Mississippi: DMH Helpline
31. Missouri: Division of Behavioral Health treatment help line
32. Nebraska: Nebraska Family Helpline
33. New Hampshire: The Doorway
34. New Jersey: ReachNJ
35. New Mexico: New Mexico Crisis and Access Line (NMCAL)
36. New York: NYS HOPEline
37. North Carolina: NC Peer Warmline
38. North Dakota: Recovery Talk
39. Ohio: Bridge Line
40. Oregon: Alcohol and Drug Help Line
41. Pennsylvania: PA Get Help Now
42. Rhode Island: Rhode Island Buprenorphine Hotline
43. Tennessee: Tennessee REDLINE
44. Texas: Outreach, Screening, Assessment and Referral (OSAR) through 2-1-1 Texas
45. Vermont: VT Helplink
46. Washington: Washington Recovery Help Line
47. West Virginia: HELP4WV
48. Wisconsin: Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline
49. Puerto Rico: Línea PAS (Primera Ayuda Sicosocial)
50. Alaska: AS 47.37.190 involuntary commitment
51. Arizona: A.R.S. § 36-2026 emergency admission (alcohol)
52. California: Lanterman-Petris-Short Act: grave disability from severe substance use disorder (Welf. & Inst. Code § 5008)
53. Colorado: Substance use emergency and involuntary commitment (C.R.S. 27-81-111 and 27-81-112)
54. Connecticut: Involuntary commitment for alcohol or drug dependency (Conn. Gen. Stat. 17a-685)
55. Delaware: involuntary treatment law
56. District of Columbia: involuntary commitment statute
57. Florida: Marchman Act
58. Hawaii: Involuntary hospitalization (HRS § 334-60.2)
59. Idaho: Protective custody under the Alcoholism and Intoxication Treatment Act (Idaho Code § 39-307A)
60. Iowa: Iowa Code chapter 125 involuntary commitment for substance use disorder
61. Kansas: Care and Treatment Act for Persons with an Alcohol or Substance Abuse Problem (K.S.A. 59-29b45 to 59-29b84)
62. Kentucky: Casey's Law (Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention, KRS 222.430 to 222.437)
63. Louisiana: Judicial commitment under the Louisiana Mental Health Law (La. R.S. 28:54)
64. Massachusetts: Section 35 (M.G.L. c. 123, § 35)
65. Minnesota: Minnesota Commitment and Treatment Act (Minn. Stat. ch. 253B)
66. Mississippi: Mississippi alcohol and drug commitment
67. Missouri: Missouri civil involuntary detention (Chapter 632 RSMo)
68. Montana: involuntary commitment statute
69. Nebraska: Nebraska Mental Health Commitment Act
70. Nevada: Civil protective custody (NRS 458.270)
71. New Hampshire: Protective custody of intoxicated persons (RSA 172:15)
72. New York: New York Mental Hygiene Law § 22.09 (emergency services for persons incapacitated by alcohol and/or substances)
73. North Carolina: involuntary commitment statute
74. North Dakota: involuntary treatment law
75. Ohio: Involuntary treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse (Ohio Rev. Code 5119.90 to 5119.98)
76. Oklahoma: involuntary treatment law
77. Oregon: involuntary treatment law
78. Pennsylvania: Act 53 (commitment of minors)
79. Rhode Island: involuntary commitment statute
80. South Carolina: S.C. Code Title 44, Chapter 52, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commitment
81. South Dakota: involuntary commitment statute
82. Texas: Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 462, Treatment of Persons with Chemical Dependencies
83. Utah: Utah Essential Treatment and Intervention (Utah Code Title 26B, Chapter 5, Part 5)
84. Washington: Ricky's Law (Involuntary Treatment Act for substance use disorders, RCW 71.05)
85. West Virginia: W. Va. Code 27-5 (Involuntary Hospitalization), which covers substance use disorder
86. Wisconsin: Wis. Stat. 51.45 (Prevention and control of alcoholism and drug dependence), subsections (12) emergency commitment and (13) involuntary commitment