Addiction
Compulsive behaviors are actions that people feel driven or ‘compelled’ to do. While they may be able to resist the urge for a short period of time, they ultimately cannot resist or control it. These compulsions may become significantly disruptive to their life and can be very distressing.
—National Institutes of Health
Actions for Now
Steps to Reduce Symptoms
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Locate a nearby treatment center, contact their emergency hotline, and learn more about addiction and recovery via this agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services - 6 Ways to Take a Break From Drinking
Looking to cut back? These steps may help - 64 Ways to Cope with Cravings
This infographic from Water’s Edge Therapy offers behavioral alternatives to engaging in compulsive behavior - Start Your Recovery
Immediate resources and tools to find support groups, therapy, or rehab. - Addiction Hypnosis Meditation
This meditation focuses on the relationship between addiction/compulsive behaviors and fear - The Modern Mocktail
Socializing often revolves around drinking; impress your friends while staying zero-proof with these curated mocktails - Association of Recovery in Higher Education
Join the collegiate recovery movement as either a student in recovery or a supportive parent - How to Break the Pattern on Love Addiction
An article from Psychology Today that includes a self-assessment for love addiction and advice for overcoming it - Never Use Alone
Prevention, detection, life-saving crisis response and reversal services for overdoses.
Apps
- QuitNow
Monitor cigarette use, connect with an online community of people coping with cigarette addictions - Sober Grid
Find and reach out to sober people in your community, focuses on drugs and alcohol - Quit It
Calculate how much money you save/lose each time you buy or don’t buy cigarettes - Step Away
Monitor triggers and receive tips/encouragement for quitting alcohol - notOK
Receive immediate support from your friends, family, or peer network
For Allies
Give the Best Support Possible
- Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation resources for families
Get a professional assessment, learn about what happens in treatment, and get tips for moving forward - Helping a Child Whose Parent is Struggling with Addiction
This podcast covers the basics on providing empathetic support - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids family resources
Speak to a free hotline counselor, learn about helpful skills and treatment options, and find articles about steps you can take to help your child with substance use - How You Can Support a Partner Who’s Struggling with their Mental Health
Kristin Dart, LICSW, offers tips for those unsure how to best support their significant other during touch psychological times. - Three Things to Do When You Suspect Drug Use
Advice for how to move forward when you suspect one of your child’s friends may be abusing substances - Get Naloxone Now
Learn how to respond to an emergency opioid overdose in as little as 20 minutes
You’re Not Alone
Stories
- The Official Sober Podcast Network
A podcast focusing on addiction recovery, featuring episodes like “Finding Hope for Parents of Addicted Children,” “How Overprescribing Can Lead to Addiction,” and “Alcohol and Pop Culture.” - How Five Chefs in Recovery Live One Day At A Time|
5 successful chefs describe their recovery journeys and how they’ve affected their lives, both professional and personal - Sober Grid
Find and reach out to sober people in your community, focuses on drugs and alcohol - 4 Vital Life Lessons Alcohol Addiction Recovery Taught Me
A blogger wrote this post when he was about to reach his 9-year sobriety anniversary - Food Addicts Anonymous
A self-supported 12-step community focusing on food addiction.
Master the Subject
Learn How It Works
- NIH National Association on Drug Abuse
Research intended to advance the science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction. - Institute for Research, Education, and Training in the Addictions (IRETA)
Locate applied research and free training webinars and online courses on substance abuse - American Psychological Association
Collected education, research, and news about addiction. - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Learn more about addiction, types of treatment, addiction’s prevalence across the US, and prevention efforts via this government-funded website - LGBTQ+ Community Resources for Substance Abuse
Addiction is a major issue within the LGBTQ community. Learn why, and how treatment providers can help. - NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals webinars
Free online webinars for professionals who work with addiction on topics such as advocacy, grief, college recovery programs, and more - Your Brain On Drugs
This infographic illustrates how drugs affect your neuropsychology - The Science of Addiction
An infographic describing the effects and impact of various substances, including heroin and prescription drugs. - 5 Myths of Addiction
A graphic describing and refuting popular myths about addiction, such as the idea that overcoming it is a mere matter of willpower. - Drugs and the Brain
An open course from MIT about how drugs interact with the brain - Senior Citizens and Problem Gambling
Why seniors are at an increased risk of engaging in problem gambling - Sex Addiction Relapse: High Risk Scenarios
An overview of common situations that lead to relapses in sex addiction - Understanding and Managing Compulsive Sexual Behaviors
An article reviewing the clinical features of compulsive sexual behavior and summarizing current (circa 2006) evidence for treatment. - How Addiction Affects the Transgender Community
Information and resources regarding substance use and mental health in the transgender community
Advocate
Connect to the Larger Movement
- NAADC, the Association for Addiction Professionals
Are you an addiction professional? Learn more about legislation that you can take action on today - Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
A coalition dedicated to strengthening the capacity of communities to create and maintain healthy, drug-free environments - National Council on Problem Gambling
Treatment information, emergency hotline, and resources related to problem gambling. - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids
Resources for families struggling with a child’s substance addiction - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
An agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to advancing behavioral health. Their site features an emergency hotline, up-to-date research data, a treatment locator, and articles on various substances linked to addiction such as prevention, healthcare, homelessness, youth, and more.