Substance Use Problems
Learn about substance use disorders
Using drugs or alcohol in a way that harms you or that leads you to harm others, like your family or friends, is called substance use disorder. It can range from mild to severe. Moderate to severe substance use disorder is sometimes called addiction. This disorder can develop from the use of almost any type of substance. This includes alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, illegal drugs, prescription medicines, and over-the-counter medicines. If you think you might have a substance use disorder, our topics can give you the support you need to help you quit. And if you're worried about someone else, you can find tips in our topics for providing support to others.
For more information, see our substance use topics, such as:
- Alcohol and Drug Use
- Alcohol and Drugs: When to Get Help for an Intoxicated Person
- Alcohol and Substance Use in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Alcohol or Drug Use During Pregnancy
- Alcohol Problems: How to Stop Drinking
- Alcohol Use Disorder
- Alcohol Withdrawal
- Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
- Anabolic Steroids
- Assess Your Drug Use
- Avoiding Smoking Triggers
- Breastfeeding: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
- Cocaine
- Committing to Quitting: Your Quit-Tobacco Plan
- Comparing Stop-Smoking Medicines
- Date Rape Drugs
- Diabetes and Alcohol
- Drinking and Your Health
- Drinking More Than You Want To?
- Drug Withdrawal in Newborns (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome)
- Fentanyl Overdose
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
- Form for Identifying Reasons to Cut Down On or Stop Alcohol Use
- Health Risks Related to Smokeless Tobacco
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Heroin
- Ideas for Cutting Back on Alcohol Use
- Inhalant Use
- Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
- Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Affect Your Lifespan?
- Interactive Tool: Is Your Use of Alcohol Harmful?
- Interactive Tools
- John's Story: Crossing the Smoke-Free Finish Line
- Keeping Change Going—Your New Normal
- Linda's Story: Quitting Smoking Lowers My Risk
- LSD
- Lung Cancer and Other Lung Problems From Smoking
- Making a Change That Matters
- Making a Plan to Cut Back on Alcohol Use
- Making a Plan to Help Someone Get Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
- Making Your Change Happen
- Managing Cravings When You're Quitting Tobacco
- Marijuana
- MDMA (Ecstasy)
- Methamphetamine
- My Reasons to Quit Smoking
- Naloxone Rescue Kits for Opioid Overdose
- Nancy's Story: Quitting Smoking Takes More Than Willpower
- Nate's Story: Sick of Smoking
- Ned's Story: Quitting Smoking
- Not Ready for Change?
- Opioid Use Disorder
- Planning for a Change That Matters
- Planning for Alcohol or Drug Relapse
- Questions About Substance Use Treatment Programs
- Quit-Smoking Programs
- Quitting Smokeless Tobacco
- Quitting Smoking
- Quitting Smoking or Vaping During Pregnancy
- Quitting Smoking: How Family and Friends Can Help
- Recommitting to Staying Tobacco-Free
- Residential Treatment for Substance Use
- Risks of Smoking Cigars and Pipes
- Saying No to Alcohol and Drugs
- Smoking and Coronary Artery Disease
- Smoking Fewer Cigarettes
- Smoking: Choosing a Good Time to Quit
- Smoking: Health Risk for Family Members
- Smoking: Problems With Pregnancy
- Substance Use and Mental Health Conditions
- Substance Use Disorder
- Substance Use Disorders in Older Adults
- Substance Use: Helping Someone Get Treatment
- Substance Use: Staying Alcohol- or Drug-Free After Treatment
- Teen Alcohol and Drug Use
- Teen Substance Use Disorder: Choosing a Treatment Program
- Teen Substance Use: Making a Contract With Your Teen
- Thinking About a Change?
- Tobacco Use Disorder
- Tobacco Use in Teens
- Track Your Tobacco Use
- Vaping
- Worried About Using Opioids?
- Younger-Looking and Healthier Body After Quitting Smoking
- Alcohol Problems: Helping Someone Get Treatment
- Quitting Smoking: Coping With Cravings and Withdrawal
- Quitting Smoking: Dealing With Weight Gain
- Quitting Smoking: Getting Support
- Quitting Smoking: Helping Someone Quit
- Quitting Smoking: Preventing Slips or Relapses
- Substance Use Disorder: Dealing With Teen Substance Use
Current as of: November 15, 2023
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
