![A lavender armchair in a bare workshop at first light, with a swept floor and a single lamp lit](https://viacara.com/img/content/addiction-alcohol-drugs-feature-light.webp) # Alcohol and Drugs Free NHS and charity services treat drinking and drug problems, and you can refer yourself. Talking support works alongside them, never instead. Drinking and drug problems have free specialist services behind them across the UK. You can walk into most of them without a referral from anyone. This page points you there first, then explains what a talking professional adds once that is in place. ## When to get *medical* help first Someone who has passed out or cannot be woken after drinking or taking something needs emergency care. So does anyone with a seizure or trouble breathing. Do not leave them alone to sleep it off. There is a second danger that catches people out. The NHS says it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you are dependent on alcohol. The NHS says to get medical help before you try to stop if you get withdrawal symptoms. A GP or your local alcohol service can arrange a supervised withdrawal. Sources: [NHS: alcohol poisoning](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/#ref-4), [NHS: alcohol misuse treatment](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/#ref-1) ## Where treatment *starts* The NHS says a good place to start is with a GP. You can also contact your local drug and alcohol service yourself, with no referral. These services are free and confidential. In England, 310,863 adults were in treatment for drug or alcohol problems in the year to March 2024. You would be one of many. [FRANK](https://www.talktofrank.com) Anyone Honest, confidential information about drugs, with a helpline, a text service and a search for local drug treatment services. Standard call rates 24/7 [Call](tel:+443001236600) [Text](sms:82111) [Find local services](https://www.talktofrank.com/get-help/find-support-near-you) [Drinkline](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/) Adults The national alcohol helpline, for your own drinking or for someone you are worried about. Weekdays 9am to 8pm weekends 11am to 4pm [Call](tel:+443001231110) [We Are With You](https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk) Adults and young people Free local drug, alcohol and mental health services, plus a webchat with a trained adviser. [Find a service](https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/find-support/search-for-local-support) Sources: [NHS: alcohol support](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/#ref-2), [NHS: drug addiction help](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/#ref-3), [OHID: substance misuse stats](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/#ref-6) ![The same workshop later in the day, tools back on the wall and the window open](https://viacara.com/img/content/addiction-alcohol-drugs-mid-light.webp) Specialist help does the treatment. Talking support takes the weight around it ## People who have been there Peer groups sit alongside treatment rather than replace it. Some people use both for years. Others use one for a while and stop. [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk) Anyone who wants to stop drinking A fellowship of people who meet in person and online to stay sober, with a free national helpline. [Call](tel:+448009177650) [Email](mailto:help@aamail.org) [Narcotics Anonymous UK](https://ukna.org) Anyone who wants to stop using drugs A fellowship of people recovering from drug use, with meetings across the UK and a helpline answered by members. Standard call rates 10am to midnight, daily [Call](tel:+443009991212) [SMART Recovery UK](https://smartrecovery.org.uk) Anyone with an addictive behaviour Free meetings, in person and online, built on cognitive behavioural tools rather than a twelve step programme. Standard call rates [Call](tel:+443300536022) [Find a meeting](https://smartrecovery.org.uk/meetings) ## What talking support is and what it is *not* A professional found here does not treat dependence. NHS Talking Therapies says the same of itself. It does not provide specific interventions to treat drug and alcohol misuse. What talking support does hold is everything around it. The low mood, the anxiety, the trauma, the shame, the relationship that is buckling under it. Many people arrive at a specialist service and find those things surface once the substance is not doing the muffling. That is the point where a professional helps most. Source: [NHS England: talking therapies manual](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/alcohol-and-drugs/#ref-5) ## You might find it *useful* when - You are already in treatment and the feelings underneath have come up - You have stopped, and the reason you started is still there - Something happened years ago that you have never talked about sober - The drinking is a symptom of anxiety, grief or burnout - Your relationship needs repair after a long stretch of this - You want to understand the pattern rather than only stop the behaviour Tell a professional what specialist support you already have. A good one will work alongside it and will say so. Thanks for your interest. We're not taking on new clients at the moment. ## Ready to talk about what sits *underneath* it? We ask what matters to you, then find professionals who fit. Leave your email and we'll let you know as soon as we're ready for you. This conversation helps us find you the right support. What you share helps us understand what you're looking for and find someone who fits. Your email keeps you updated on what's happening next and isn't shared with anyone we introduce you to. [Privacy policy](https://viacara.com/privacy) [Terms of service](https://viacara.com/terms) ## References 1. National Health Service (2026). *Alcohol misuse: treatment*. [Link](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-misuse/treatment/) 2. National Health Service (2026). *Alcohol support*. [Link](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/) 3. National Health Service (2026). *Drug addiction: getting help*. [Link](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/drug-addiction-getting-help/) 4. National Health Service (2026). *Alcohol poisoning*. [Link](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-poisoning/) 5. NHS England (2025). *The NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression manual, version 7.1*. [Link](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nhs-talking-therapies-manual-v7.1-updated.pdf) 6. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2024). *Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2023 to 2024: report*. [Link](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/substance-misuse-treatment-for-adults-statistics-2023-to-2024/adult-substance-misuse-treatment-statistics-2023-to-2024-report) ## Related ### [Gambling](https://viacara.com/support/addiction/gambling/) Gambling harm is treated apart from drugs and alcohol. The NHS runs clinics you can refer yourself to, and the national helpline is free and open 24/7. ### [Someone Else's Addiction](https://viacara.com/support/someone-elses-addiction/) When a partner, parent or child is drinking, using or gambling, the strain lands on you too. Support exists for you, in your own right. ### [Understanding Anxiety](https://viacara.com/support/anxiety/) Learn about anxiety, its symptoms and how therapy can help. Find the right practitioner for anxiety support. ### [Grief Counselling](https://viacara.com/support/grief/) Grief has no timeline. Find a counsellor who can sit with you while you find your way through loss, in your own time and on your own terms. ### [Finding the Right Practitioner](https://viacara.com/guides/finding-a-practitioner/) A practical guide to finding a mental health practitioner who fits your needs, preferences and budget. ### [Mental Health Support for Veterans](https://viacara.com/support/veterans/) Free NHS mental health help for veterans, reservists and their families, with the route in each UK nation. Most let you get in touch yourself. ### [After a Psychedelic Experience](https://viacara.com/support/psychedelic-experiences/) A trip that will not settle, a shift you cannot explain, or a question you cannot put down. Find a professional who will talk it through without judgement.