What Is an Alcohol Abuse Hotline?

An alcohol abuse hotline is similar to a drug rehab hotline.

A drug rehab hotline is a number you can call – usually 24 hours a day – that people struggling with drug addiction can call. The only difference between an alcohol abuse hotline and a drug rehab hotline is that alcohol abuse hotlines cater to addictions to a certain substance – alcohol.

These hotlines aren’t made just for addicts or alcoholics to call. Concerned family members and other loved ones who have addicted people in their lives can use them. They can call the hotline for advice and support. Some hotlines are run by professionals who specialize in addictions – sometimes medical professionals, others by addiction counselors.

An alcohol abuse hotline, or any drug hotline, is different than a crisis hotline. Crisis hotlines are made to be used in emergencies. Crisis hotlines are for people to call during intense situations, such as during dangerous episodes of psychosis or during precipitated withdrawal when calling the hospital may not be ideal.

Alcohol abuse hotlines, instead, aim to provide information. They believe that having information is the first step towards finding the path to recovery. They support the alcoholic and the family of the alcoholic by offering knowledge and support.

When Should I Call an Alcohol Abuse Hotline?

You don’t need to be a full-fledged alcoholic to benefit from calling an alcohol abuse hotline. You don’t even need to know someone in danger of becoming an alcoholic. These sorts of hotlines aren’t emergency lines. You can call them out of curiosity. Their main aim is to provide information that might be needed to those in some of the following situations:

You can call an alcohol abuse hotline to find answers about someone you’re worried might be drinking too much. The hotline can provide information and help you understand whether or not your family members are becoming addicted to alcohol. They can teach about signs of alcohol withdrawal and dependency.
If you’re worried about yourself or someone you know becoming an alcoholic, you can call just to ease your mind. It helps to communicate with an actual person when dealing with situations like this. A lot of questions about alcohol abuse can be very intense and hard to discuss among people you know. These questions can’t always be answered by friends or through online support groups.
Alcohol abuse hotlines can help you and your loved ones develop a schedule for recovery. They can help with creating a taper plan to wean you off the booze.
Alcohol abuse hotlines can help you find a rehab facility. If you or someone close to you is drinking too much, you’re going to want to find a rehab that suits your needs. They can also help you find the right contacts to finish an application.

Alcohol abuse hotlines can be useful in situations that a crisis line won’t help because they actually take time to have conversations with you. They will try to understand your personal situations and answer anything you ask regarding such. A crisis line, though, mostly refers people in critical situations to emergency help.

What Should I Know About Alcohol Abuse Hotlines?

Alcohol abuse hotlines should be staffed by folk who know about and can contact rehab clinics in your area. Alcohol abuse hotlines are usually staffed by licensed addictions specialists who work in the healthcare industry and are qualified to provide info about rehabilitation.

Most rehab hotlines don’t ask you for your name or personal information, though some may. Since their main goal is to provide information, they don’t need superfluous information. They just want to provide support for the safety and usage of anyone who needs it.
You will, however, want to provide them with as much information about your situation as possible. Otherwise, they won’t be able to give you relevant information. Explaining your current situation allows the hotline workers to help you find rehab clinics nearby. They can also find treatment catered to people of your age group and gender.
They may be able to directly connect you with counseling facilities, or fill out applications via phone for you.

When to Call an Alcohol Abuse Hotline

To call an alcohol abuse rehab hotline, you just need to be curious about alcoholism. You need not be dependent, and you need not even know any alcoholics (however this is most often the case.) Call them whenever you need information about alcoholism!

Alcohol abuse hotlines don’t discriminate. Anyone can call and ask for help and information.
Call when you have problems related to alcohol addiction. A lot of people don’t seek help for their alcohol problems. This is often because they feel they have nobody to talk to. An alcohol abuse hotline will provide someone to listen to you while you explain your problems.
While they won’t be able to give you a full therapy session, they can listen to your problems and find a therapy or counseling clinic suited to you or the person you’re concerned about.

You could be looking out for someone who seems to be slipping towards the edge. If you’re not sure whether or not someone’s in need of rehab counseling, there are some indicative signs that you should be wary of:

Being defensive. Have you tried speaking to this person about their drinking? If they get extremely defensive, they may be hiding something – and that something could be the extensiveness of their drug use.

Lying. Dishonesty is a huge indicator that someone is struggling with drugs or alcohol. This is one of the most obvious signs that casual use has developed beyond what is appropriate. If someone’s being dishonest, they might just be trying to protect you – but more likely, they’re trying to keep their problem a secret even to themselves.

Missing planned appointments. If someone’s missing school, work, family gatherings, or other important scheduled events there’s a good chance that alcohol could be the reason.

Being sick all the time. Withdrawal often looks like common sickness. If someone you know constantly seems to have a cold or a stomach flu, they might be going through withdrawal. Symptoms like a runny nose, persistent cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, watery eyes occurring on a regular basis could be indicative of withdrawal.

Finding the Right Alcohol Abuse Hotline

Finding the right alcohol abuse hotline isn’t the easiest thing in the world. If you look online, you’ll certainly find a ton of different hotlines – but you’ll want to find a local one. A local hotline will be able to more reliably provide information than a hotline based on the opposite end of the country that’s using Google Maps to pinpoint rehabs in your locale.

Talking to other recovering alcoholics is a pretty good way to find alcohol hotlines. If you aren’t already going to rehab or attending support groups, recovering alcoholics can be hard to find. You can look to support groups or clinics in hopes that they can refer you to a good alcoholism hotline. They will likely have numbers to call that can link you up with other rehab facilities more suited to your needs.

Recovery.org runs one of the larger rehab hotlines in the U.S.A. They can be reached at 1-888-988-0053.
There’s a list of rehab hotlines available in California, that can be reached. Some will require that you provide some information when you first call so they can send you to the most appropriate responder. They will call back and you can talk to them.