Conditions
Substances and conditions
Treatment is not one-size-fits-all, and the substance matters more than most people expect. Stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures, so those usually start with medical detox. Opioid recovery is built around medication that cuts overdose risk. Meth and cocaine have no approved medication at all, so behavioral treatment carries the load.
Each guide below covers what treatment looks like for that substance, which medications have evidence behind them, and what to ask a provider. If depression, anxiety, or trauma is part of the picture, start with the dual diagnosis guide.
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Alcohol Addiction Treatment: What Recovery Actually Involves
Alcohol is the one substance where quitting on your own can be medically dangerous. Here's how treatment works, from safe withdrawal to the three medications most people are never offered.
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Opioid and Fentanyl Addiction Treatment: Why Medication Comes First
With fentanyl in the supply, opioid treatment is no longer just about getting clean. It's about staying alive long enough to recover, and medication is the tool with the strongest evidence for doing that.
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Benzodiazepine Dependence: Why Tapering Slowly Matters
Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, and Ativan can be stopped safely, but almost never quickly. A slow, supervised taper is the core of treatment, whether the pills came from a doctor or the street.
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Meth and Cocaine Addiction Treatment: What Works Without a Pill
There's no FDA-approved medication for stimulant addiction, so treatment leans on behavioral approaches. One of them, contingency management, works better than most people would guess.
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Dual Diagnosis: Treating Addiction With Depression, Anxiety, or PTSD
When addiction and a mental health condition show up together, treating one and waiting on the other rarely works. Integrated treatment handles both at once.