When should someone seek help?

Someone should seek help as soon as drug use starts becoming hard to control, begins causing harm, or creates concern for the person or people around them. Repeated failed attempts to cut down, strong cravings, risky use, withdrawal symptoms, or worsening effects on health, mood, work, school, or relationships are all valid reasons to get evaluated. A person does not need to “hit bottom” before seeking help.

Early help matters because intervention can begin before consequences become more severe. SAMHSA specifically describes screening and early intervention as ways to identify risky substance use and connect people to appropriate care before the disorder worsens.

Seeking help also does not require certainty that addiction is present. An assessment can clarify whether the problem is risky use, an emerging substance use disorder, or a more established condition, and can guide the next step—whether that is brief counseling, outpatient treatment, medication, or a higher level of care.