Drug and alcohol abuse is a major problem in the U.S. Nearly 14 million American adults have what is considered a problem with alcohol, with about 8 million of those people considered to be alcoholics. Several more million have issues with drug addiction, and overdose deaths are the No. 1 cause of accidental deaths in America, with more than 50,000 each year. Many people who have a drug or alcohol problem also have other issues, such as anxiety or a mental illness. For those who are struggling with an addiction to alcohol and/or drugs, it’s important that they get into a program to help them get clean.

Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a clinical condition, and trying to quit cold turkey can lead to serious health issues. For alcoholics, only about 10% to 20and have withdrawal symptoms that are serious enough to warrant medical monitoring, but the rate for drug addicts is much higher. People addicted to narcotics can start to go into withdrawal within six to 12 hours after quitting the drugs, and they can experience severe symptoms, including fever, vomiting, muscle tremors and severe pain. The safest route for drug treatment is to do either an in- or outpatient drug addition treatment program. These programs often combine behavior modification, counseling and medication to help get someone off of drugs. You can try to kick the drug habit on your own, using counseling through Narcotics Anonymous or another organization, but it can be a lot harder.

For alcohol addiction, there are a few more options. Some people are able to stop drinking on their own without any help, although such a process has a high failure rate and isn’t necessarily recommended. Alcoholics Anonymous is a popular option for those trying to kick alcoholism, and it is quite successful. For those with severe alcohol problems or for whom other methods haven’t worked, a stay at alcohol detox centers can be the solution. Alcohol detox centers work much like drug detox centers and may combine several methods. The supervision that such programs provide can make it more likely that people get off of alcohol and stay off of it for good.

The first step in recovery is to realize you have a problem. Once you do that, you can decide which drug or alcohol treatment program is best for your needs.