Substance abuse is the misuse of alcohol, prescription or over-the-counter medications, and the use of illegal drugs. Find treatment and recovery services for substance abuse and learn how to prevent drug and alcohol problems. Recognize the Signs and Effects of Substance Abuse Alcohol and drug addiction can happen to anyone at any age. Learn the signs of someone with a drug or alcohol problem, the effect of drugs, and how to prevent substance abuse:   Find the signs of someone with a drug use problem Find the signs of someone with an alcohol use problem Learn about opioid abuse and addiction Find Treatment for Substance Abuse The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers these services to help with drug and alcohol abuse: Call SAMHSA's national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357). This treatment referral and information service is confidential, free, and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in English and Spanish. It’s for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Search for a treatment facility near you. Get help with problems related to substance abuse, addiction, or mental health issues. The Alcohol Treatment Navigator explains how different treatment options work, how to choose a quality program, and how to get support for yourself or for a loved one through the recovery process. Get medication-assisted treatment (MAT). This involves using medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. It can be used for opioid addictions, such as heroin and prescription pain relievers that contain opiates, and to help prevent an opioid overdose.     Find Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Veterans The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers veterans and their families a wide range of support services for substance abuse: Find a VA treatment center. Search for a local VA substance use disorder (SUD) treatment program or a VA medical center with mental health specialists. Contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online with a VA responder, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Find Local Help Centers for Alcohol and Drug Addiction Get help from local support groups and other services in your community: Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) helps people with problems controlling how much alcohol they drink, and who wish to stop drinking. Locate a meeting center or an online support group. Al-Anon supports people affected by alcoholic family members or friends. Find a meeting in your area. Alateen is part of the Al-Anon safe group and offers help for teens dealing with a parent’s alcohol abuse. Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) assists people who want to stop abusing prescription or illegal drugs. Find a meeting center or online support group by searching for the local helpline or website for the area where the meeting is located. NAR-Anon supports people affected by someone using and abusing drugs. Search for a meeting in your area. SMART Recovery assists young people and adults with alcohol or other addictions through group therapy sessions. Go to a SMART Recovery meeting in person or attend an online meeting.