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Are you or a friend coping with a family conflict like separated, divorced, drug addicted, abused or abusive parents?
family
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Are you or a friend coping with a problem friendship, boyfriend, girlfriend, authority figure, cult or gang?
relationships
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Are you or a friend coping with poor self-esteem, stress, anxiety, loneliness, grief, anger or depression?
feelings
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Are you or a friend coping with depression or thoughts of suicide?
suicide
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Are you or a friend coping with a lack of basic needs like food, clothing, housing, employment, or trouble at school?
basic needs
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Are you or a friend coping with prejudice, neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse, survival sex, prostitution, domestic violence or crime?
abuse
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Are you or a friend coping with a physical disability, sexually transmitted disease (STD), HIV/AIDS, self-harm, a psychiatric or eating disorder?
health
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Are you or a friend coping with questions about sexuality, sexual hygiene, a pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease (STD) or HIV/AIDS?
sex
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Are you or a friend coping with tobacco, alcohol, street drugs or prescription drugs?
drugs & alcohol
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Are you or a friend coping with thoughts of leaving home, running away or are you already homeless?
running away
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It's free. It's 24/7. It's for you.
What are the different kinds of substance abuse?
Substance abuse begins with experimentation and often leads to dependency. Whether you are experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, street drugs or prescription drugs, you may be on your way to drug addiction.
What is substance abuse?
Are their different kinds of drugs & alcohol?
Do I have a problem with drugs & alcohol?
Why do I have a problem with drugs & alcohol?
Is it my fault?
How do I get help?
How can Nineline help me?
meet a Covenant House kid
visit our forum on drugs
download info on drugs (pdf)
abuse information for caregivers
Experimentation - The user tries the drug out of curiosity. He/she may have come across the drug accidentally or through a friend, acquaintance or family member.
Recreational Use – The user seeks out the substance but uses it infrequently.
Habituation – The user seeks out the substance and uses it more and more often until it becomes a regular habit.
Abuse - The user continues to use the substance despite the consequences (for example, despite the fact it is illegal, it interferes with their relationships, school, or work).
Dependence/Addiction – The user increases his or her use of the substance regularly until the substance itself becomes the most important thing in life.
Life is stressful. Many adults come home from work and immediately have a drink, smoke a joint or pop a pill in order to feel relaxed. Kids experience the same stress that adults do and try similar things to "chill out." The younger you are when you begin experimenting with drugs or alcohol, the better your chances are likely to be of developing a problem. That’s why it’s important to understand why you’re attracted to substances like tobacco, drugs or alcohol and to get help now.