Knowledge Library

Substance Use & Recovery

Treatment, recovery, peer support and family resources for substance-use challenges.

Understanding This

Recovery can include treatment, peer support, changes in daily life, rebuilding relationships and creating conditions that help a person improve health and live a self-directed life. Recovery looks different for different people and can involve both progress and setbacks.

What Someone May Experience

Concern about alcohol or drug use

Difficulty cutting down or stopping

Use interfering with relationships, work or health

Using substances to cope with emotional pain or stress

Family conflict related to substance use

Returning to use after a period of recovery

What May Help

Professional substance-use assessment

Outpatient or inpatient treatment when appropriate

Medication treatment for certain substance-use disorders

Peer recovery support

Family support

Mental-health treatment when conditions occur together

Stable housing, transportation and other recovery supports

When to Reach Out

Support can begin before a situation becomes severe. SAMHSA and other treatment resources can help people locate professional services and recovery support.

Related SAGE Resources

Trusted Sources

These are the organizations SAGE used to build and verify this information. They are shown for transparency. SAGE does not send you away from this page automatically.

SAMHSA — Recovery and Recovery Support


                        https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/recovery

Information checked: 2026-09-28