Alcoholism Helplines

Alcoholism is a frightening, potentially life-threatening condition that over 75 million people suffer with worldwide, according the World Health Organization. In 2005, it was estimated that alcohol abuse cost the United States $220 billion. Fifty percent of homicides in the United States are alcohol-related.

If you or your loved one is an alcoholic, advice concerning how to best treat the disease will be critical to you.  There are many places to seek out answers, unfortunately not all help will be quality, and discerning the good advice from the bad can be tricky. One option for getting premium information quickly and anonymously is to contact a reputable alcoholism helpline.

Addiction Helplines are a Great First Step

Addiction helplines are a great first step in the recovery process as they:

• Provide You with Accurate Information: Alcohol addiction helplines run by professional organizations can provide you with accurate information about alcoholism. Whatever questions you have, you should ask them. The counselors who answer the phones are typically well-trained and extremely informed.  This is exactly what you need– the ability to “pick the brain” of someone who is well-informed about alcoholism.
• Make You Aware of Powerful but Little-Known Resources: Oftentimes, alcoholism helplines are privy to a world of resources that the average citizen is not. It’s their job to be knowledgeable about those things in the community which can help addicts. If the helpline is part of a full-service alcohol rehab facility, you may be able to enroll in either an outpatient or inpatient program if your addiction warrants it.
• Give You the Opportunity to Speak with Someone Without Revealing Your Identity: It can sometimes be tough to admit that you have or a loved one has a substance abuse problem, even to strangers. If it is later determined that more involved treatment is needed and you have to enroll in a rehabilitation facility, being able to first talk to someone via an alcohol-related helpline can make this a bit easier. Consider the helpline an opportunity to practice speaking with someone about your alcohol addiction. It may be awkward and even downright scary at first, but keep in mind that getting sober is the aim and worth whatever feelings of embarrassment you may have.

One of the best places to get alcoholism advice is from an alcoholism helpline. Not only can an organization of this type answer basic questions about the disease but they can give you advice on how to go about choosing a quality rehabilitation facility. They can tell you what to look for and which types of programs to avoid. This type of information can be extremely helpful if this is the first time that you have ever dealt with alcoholism treatment.  An organization of this type might also be able to recommend a particular facility or program, information which can be very valuable for a person attempting to navigate the treatment of alcoholism for the first time.