All kind of hotlines and helplines out there: such as for those contemplating suicide and for those victimized by brutal violent crimes. 911 (in the US) is an emergency hotline, tech support for your computer is another kind of emergency hotline. Then there is the whole world of addiction and codependency. Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Twelve Step programs addressing everything from compulsive overeating, gambling, smoking, sex addiction, and so on have hotlines.
If you have a problem you cannot deal with on your own, you call someone with more experience who may be able to help. It's not rocket science.
When an addict calls a hotline it may be the very first time he or she ever reaches out for help. It may also be the last time the addict reaches out help. Hotline members are aware of the importance of the calls they receive. They are recovering addicts with good recovery who know what's at risk and have been there and know the path out of the nightmare. They have a world of experience to share and reams of helpful information regarding meetings, resources, what to do, who to ask, and how to get through that next moment, that next hour.
I help work a hotline. I have 33 years clean. I was hopelessly addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs and could see no way out of my downward spiral to wherever; I was already in Hell. Then I got help, I learned addiction is a disease, I learned the disease is fatal if left untreated, I learned it can be arrested and an addict can rebuild his or her life becoming "happy, joyous, and free." In other words, becoming a whole human being. That's what I have on my end of the phone line when an addict calls for help.
I got a hotline call last evening, a heroin addict who was up against it and "someone told me to call this number." He cut off the call before I could do more than give him the website address for the Maine Area of Narcotics Anonymous. Maybe he'll go there and live. Maybe not. His choice.
There's a lot of help out there.
Getting clean is a sure thing if you follow the instructions.
How bad does it have to get?
