Alcohol
The most commonly treated dependency in Australia, and the one where unsupervised withdrawal carries the most medical risk.
TREATMENT BY SUBSTANCE
Treatment by substance
What treatment involves depends a great deal on what is being treated. Alcohol withdrawal is a medical event and opioid dependence has a standard pharmacotherapy behind it, while stimulant and behavioural dependencies are treated mostly through therapy and structured time. Each page below sets out what the treatment usually looks like, and links to the Australian services that provide it.
CHOOSE A STARTING POINT
Six substances, six pathways.
Methamphetamine (ice)
Stimulant dependency, where the treatment emphasis falls on psychological therapy and structured time rather than medication.
Cannabis
Often treated through counselling and day programs, and frequently alongside an anxiety or mood condition.
Opioids
Heroin and prescription opioids, where pharmacotherapy is a standard part of treatment rather than an alternative to it.
Cocaine
A stimulant dependency treated largely through therapy, relapse prevention and structured support.
Gambling
A behavioural addiction with its own treatment pathway, and one many alcohol and drug services also work with.
NOT SURE WHICH APPLIES
Start from the service, not the substance.
Most Australian services treat more than one dependency, and many treat a mental health condition alongside it. If none of the six pages is an obvious fit, filter the directory by state and level of care instead.