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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 Use Disorder
- Alcohol Withdrawal
- Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
- Anabolic Steroids
- Assess Your Drug Use
- Assess Your Substance Use
- Assess Your Tobacco Use
- Blackouts Caused by Alcohol or Drugs
- Breastfeeding: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
- CAGE Questionnaire for Alcohol Problems
- Cocaine
- Committing to Quitting: Your Quit-Tobacco Plan
- Comparing Stop-Smoking Medicines
- Coping With Cravings When You're Quitting Tobacco
- Date Rape Drugs
- Diabetes and Alcohol
- Drinking and Your Health
- Drinking More Than You Want To?
- Drug Withdrawal in Newborns (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome)
- Ecstasy (MDMA)
- 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: Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?
- Interactive Tool: Do You Have a Drinking Problem?
- Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Affect Your Lifespan?
- Interactive Tool: How Much Is Smoking Costing You?
- 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 Positive Changes in Your Life After Quitting Smoking
- Making Your Change Happen
- Marijuana
- 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
- Physical Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder
- Plan to Stop Using Alcohol
- Planning for a Change That Matters
- Planning for Alcohol or Drug Relapse
- Questions About Substance Use Treatment Programs
- Quick Tips: What to Do When You Crave Nicotine
- Quit-Smoking Programs
- Quitting Smokeless Tobacco
- Quitting Smoking
- Quitting Smoking and Avoiding Smoke During Pregnancy
- Quitting Smoking Journal
- Quitting Smoking: How Family and Friends Can Help
- Quitting Smoking: How Support Groups Can Help
- Quitting Smoking: Temptations and Cravings
- Quitting Smoking: Your Social Life
- Recommitting to Staying Tobacco-Free
- Residential Treatment for Substance Use
- Risks of Smoking Cigars and Pipes
- Saying No to Alcohol and Drugs
- Signs of Drug Use
- Signs of Substance Use
- Smoking and Coronary Artery Disease
- Smoking Fewer Cigarettes
- Smoking to Relieve Tension or Improve Mood
- Smoking Triggers
- Smoking: Choosing a Good Time to Quit
- Smoking: Health Risk for Family Members
- Smoking: Problems With Pregnancy
- Stan's Story: Getting There Hasn't Been Easy
- 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
- The 10 Principles of Recovery
- 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
- Alcohol Problems: How to Stop Drinking
- 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: March 22, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine