Substance Use Disorders and Treatment

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If you are currently experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room at once. If you’re thinking about harming yourself, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-8255. You will be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest to you. For youth under the age of 18, call the Division of Child and Family Services’ (DCFS) Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) at 702-486-7865 in Southern Nevada or 775-688-1670 in Northern Nevada.

Addiction is a complex but treatable disease.

Addiction affects the way a person thinks, feels and acts. No one plans to become addicted. It happens when a person can't decide whether to drink, use drugs, or do other bad things. Many people who use drugs or alcohol know they have a problem, but it's hard to stop on their own.  

Relapse can happen. As with other chronic health conditions, substance use treatment may be ongoing. It can be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit their changing needs. 

Symptoms of substance use disorder.

A person with an addiction will often continue to use. Even though they had bad effects or put themselves or others in danger.

Other symptoms of substance use disorder include:

  • Tolerance: A person will need more and more and larger amounts of alcohol or drugs.
  • Craving: A person will feel a strong need, desire, or urge to use alcohol or drugs. Craving is a primary symptom of addiction.
  • Loss of control: A person often will drink more alcohol or take more drugs than they mean to. Or they may use alcohol or drugs at a time or place they hadn’t planned.
  • Physical dependence or withdrawal symptoms: Sometimes, when someone stops drinking or using drugs, they may have withdrawal symptoms. They can include nausea, sweating, shakiness, and extreme anxiety.

Explore available treatment options.

Substance use therapy is individualized individualized. Not every treatment program that is done in a clinic or in a home works for everyone. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, call our behavioral health team toll-free at 1-800 873-2246, TTY 711.