Need Help?

Do you have a prescription opioid or other drug abuse problem?

Although prescription medications have different physical effects, the symptoms of their abuse and addiction are similar.

Common signs of drug abuse:

• You’re neglecting your responsibilities at work, school, or home because of your drug use.
• You’re using drugs under dangerous conditions or taking risks while high, such as driving while on drugs.
• Your drug use is getting you into legal trouble such as stealing to support a drug habit.
• Your drug use is causing problems in your relationships, such as arguments with your partner or family members and loss of friends.

Common signs of drug addiction:

• You’ve built up a drug tolerance, meaning you need more of the drug to experience the same effects.
• You take drugs to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms.
• You’ve stopped participating in activities you once enjoyed.
• You continue to use drugs even when you realize they could be causing problems.
• Your life revolves around drug use.

Get Help – Finding Treatment Resources and Other Services

Recognizing that you have a drug problem is the first step in getting better. Asking for help is the second step:

Visit the Georgia Collaborative ASO

Search the state’s comprehensive listing of Georgia based agencies, programs, frequently asked questions for help near you.

Call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line

If you are in need of immediate assistance please contact the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) 1-800-715-4225.

Call the Georgia Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist (CARES) Warm Line

Created by the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, the CARES Warm Line offers a listening ear for those who have succumbed to a path of substance abuse. Peer Telephone Support Specialists are people in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder, mental illness or both, who are specially trained to actively listen to their peers, empathize with their concerns, and empower individuals to choose their path to wellness and recovery. They are a diverse group of individuals who have completed the Georgia Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist (CARES) training, the CARES exam and are currently in ‘active’ status.  Peer Telephone Support Specialists have received additional specialized training that teaches them how to talk about the day-to-day experiences of living with behavioral health challenges, and focus on personal transformation and recovery possibilities. The message of hope is emphasized, strong and clear, based on the personal accomplishments and maintained wellness by the Peer Telephone Support Specialists.

Services are free, and all information will remain confidential. The CARES Recovery Warm Line is not a crisis line. If someone is experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, they will be referred directly to the Georgia Crisis and Access Line.

Call or text: 1-844-326-5400

Operational 365 days a year 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Contact your local Recovery Community Organization (RCO)

Recovery Community Organizations are developing across the country at the local level to address the needs of people in or seeking recovery. We know that when recovery organizes in reaching out to others, recovery expands and grows.

Georgia Council on Substance Abuse (GCSA) and Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN) with the support of Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) have been at the forefront nationally in training and supporting local recovery peer leadership. Recovery Community Organizations driven and supported by these local leaders are emerging across Georgia.

Recovery Community Organizations are independent, non-profit organizations led and governed by people in recovery. While each organization may have a mission that addresses the particular needs and concerns of its local community, all focus on the following core purpose:

1. Public education- Putting a face and voice on recovery
2. Advocacy- Ending discrimination against people in or seeking recovery
3. Services- Peer-based and other supports for recovery
4. Inclusion- Embracing all people and all pathways to recovery

Recovery Community Organizations have been forming around our country and state over the past several years, bringing the successful stories of neighbors getting well in our neighborhoods. This is the movement that is driving our communities to support the important work we are doing to stay well.

In Georgia, GCSA & GMHCN are engaged in this movement, working with local peer leaders to:

• Listen to local recovery communities about how they want to continue to support recovery;
• Bring a national perspective on RCO development, operation and sustainability;
• Continue to develop local resources and leaders in a recovery focused and supportive way;
• Promote programs and services deemed necessary by local communities;
• Keep a feedback loop open to support working together; and
• Develop local awareness of the recovery movement and local behavioral health services.

Find the nearest Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is an international network of community-based meetings for those recovering from drug addiction. Modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), NA is a 12-step program with a defined process for overcoming narcotic addiction.

Georgia College Recovery Programs

If you’re a college student looking for recovery resources, the Association of Recovery in Higher Education is a great resource. https://collegiaterecovery.org

Here are the Georgia College Recovery Programs listed separately with their links from the ARHE listing:

• Dalton State College: https://collegiaterecovery.org/program/dalton-state-college/
• Georgia Institute of Technology: http://counseling.gatech.edu/content/collegiate-recovery-program
• Georgia Southern University: http://jphcoph.georgiasouthern.edu/addiction/
• Kennesaw State University: http://cyaar.kennesaw.edu/
• University of Georgia: https://www.uhs.uga.edu/crc/

Information Regarding Recovery Residences 

https://consumer.georgia.gov/recovery-residences-halfway-houses-0