Drug and addiction counselling
Addiction is first and foremost a disease and requires treatment just like any other disease. Almost every city has counselling centres for people with addiction problems. Trained and experienced counsellors, psychologists, social workers and doctors work there. Offers are aimed at people with alcohol and drug problems as well as drug addicts and gambling addicts. Directly affected persons, relatives and, above all, parents can turn to these offices.
The counselling centres work free of charge. During the consultation, the confidential information is not passed on to the police. On request, all conversations are anonymous. Just like doctors, addiction counselors are obliged to remain silent – even when it comes to illegal drugs.
For many problems of health care and coping with illness-related, disease-causing and stressful life situations, you can benefit from a self-help group as an affected person or as a relative. The counselling centres refer those affected to the respective self-help group.
Who should I contact?
Responsibility lies with the counselling centres. These can be found e.g. in the telephone book under:
- the keywords addiction counselling centre, psychosocial counselling centre or youth and drug counselling centre
- the welfare associations, e.g. Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO), Caritasverband, Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz or Diakonisches Werk
- the local health authorities
Other contact persons include the municipality, joint municipality and city as well as the Lower Saxony State Office for Addiction Issues.
In addition, many schools have a so-called "addiction counselor". This is an educator who is tasked with helping students with drug problems. He can help with the selection of suitable offers or gives support to find a way out of addiction.
Which documents are required?
No documents are required.
What are the fees?
There are no fees.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
There are no deadlines to be observed.
What else should I know?
For more information:
Federal Centre for Health Education
Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen e.V. (German Central Office for Addiction Issues)
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Equality
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
