Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) NSW

It can be difficult to know what to do when you realise you need to stop or change your use of drugs or alcohol. The first step to feeling more in control of your life is by ringing ADIS. You can gain advice or information on how to start thinking about issues and what to do.

If someone close to you is using drugs or alcohol it can be hard to know how to respond. You can feel helpless and exhausted when trying to get help for someone you love who is using drugs and may or may not be interested in getting help for themselves. Support is available for you too. Our ADIS clinicians can assist in exploring possibilities.

Some options for you may include strategies for dealing with stress, strengthening relationships, or ways to communicate effectively. Sometimes thinking about how you can relax without using drugs is helpful too. Support groups and family counselling are also available. Speak to one of the professional clinicians at ADIS for further support or referral.

There are a lot of help options available, and sometimes these choices can be confusing. Overcoming a drug or alcohol problem can be a challenge. A lot of people think they can kick the problem on their own, but find themselves relapsing time and again. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for outside help. Most people who try to manage their problem with drugs or alcohol need professional assistance or treatment programs to do so. This can make a big difference in helping you to regain control of your life.

Find someone to talk to who you can trust. This may be a friend, or a family member. If you can’t talk to your family, you may want to approach a doctor or a counsellor. ADIS clinicians are happy to discuss any issues or concerns you might be having. ADIS offers confidential, anonymous and non-judgmental support.

Waiting times for a particular service vary enormously. Some remote and rural locations may not have the number of services around them that are available in the city. ADIS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed by phone to answer your questions. We recognise that people need to start asking the questions before making informed choices – ADIS can help.

ADIS is available to all residents of NSW. ADIS can be utilised by those who are affected by alcohol or drugs, their families, friends, professionals and students wanting to increase their knowledge regarding drugs in the community.

As a caller to ADIS, you can expect to be treated with professionalism from one of our well-trained counselling staff. You can expect to receive quality information that is sensitive to your needs and situation. You can expect to be treated with dignity, privacy and respect.

ADIS is staffed by a team of people from many diverse backgrounds. Some are Drug and Alcohol clinicians, Nurses, Social Workers and Psychologists. This diversity allows staff to understand issues and have suggestions and solutions from a broad range of treatment areas that will help individuals and communities more widely.

ADIS has a well-developed referral database, so that people can be referred to the right service for them. This includes information on detoxification services, rehabilitation, counselling services in the caller’s community, and agencies or practitioners who work in areas related to alcohol and drug problems.

By providing a non-threatening, non-judgemental service, ADIS gives callers direction in the often confusing world of drug and alcohol treatment. ADIS will help all callers wanting support and information about drug use and effective interventions.

Talking to someone about alcohol and drug issues can be emotionally painful for some people. Sometimes going through the process of withdrawal can be physically painful. The experience can vary from person to person, and it is important to remember that there is always someone available to assist you during these difficult times.

Different drugs have different effects on people. For instance, alcohol acts as a depressant while caffeine acts as a stimulant. There are lots of different reasons why this happens and talking to someone or researching on our website can help to start working this out. To find out about some of the effects of a particular drug go to the A –Z of drugs on this website.

ADIS clinicians can talk to you about a wide range of drug and alcohol issues. They can provide quality information about a broad range of drugs, such as alcohol, heroin, ice, cannabis and misusing prescription medications.

You can talk confidentially about what their effects are, what your concerns are about your use, and what are the signs of intoxication, dependence and withdrawal.

You can speak to an ADIS clinician about finding a suitable treatment service in your area. Treatment services can include individual counselling, groups, detoxification and/or rehabilitation.

You can call ADIS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 250 015

Problems depend on lots of different factors. Problems can relate to individual body size, how the drug is used, how often the person uses a substance, and even what drug is being used.

Short-term problems could be the effects of having too much of a particular drug, suddenly stopping the use of a drug or even legal implications. Long-term problems can relate to physical and mental health issues, problems with employment, education and relationships.

ADIS clinicians can discuss the short and long term problems that using drugs can cause; what withdrawal symptoms to expect; how best to manage withdrawal symptoms; information on trying to reduce some of the risks while continuing to use drugs; what treatment options exist in NSW, and where they are available.

When facing drug and alcohol problems, ADIS hears that a common feeling is that people want to hide the problem from the world. ADIS understands this and acknowledges that your privacy is important. For this reason, ADIS provides a confidential, anonymous and professional service. Any call made to ADIS is confidential and callers are not identified. Your phone number does not appear when you call, nor are calls recorded.

Any call made to ADIS is confidential and anonymous, unless you choose to give us personal information so that we can provide callback services to you. Your phone number does not appear when you call, nor are calls recorded.

When you contact ADIS, you can expect to speak to a health professional who will take your concerns and questions seriously. ADIS Counsellors will speak to you about anything related to drugs or alcohol and can support you to make informed choices. ADIS Counsellors will not pressure you to make changes, but will work with you to help you identify ways you may be able to reduce harm associated with alcohol and drug use. You can expect to speak with someone who is respectful, non-judgmental, and compassionate, and who has the professional skills to support you to make your own decisions. Drug and alcohol issues can often be very difficult challenges to face, and speaking with an ADIS Counsellor can be a good first step. 

ADIS records some information about calls. Some things are kept for statistical purposes, such as type of drug being asked about, was the caller male or female, and the like as this will assist ADIS clinicians to provide the best tailored support to you.

You do not have to provide any identifying information as it is not mandatory.

​Are you worried you could be drinking too much or consuming drugs in a way that has become a problem? Are you worried about your friends or family finding out and want to get help quickly and quietly? Are you worried about the drug use of someone close to you – maybe a family member or friend? Maybe you just want to know where someone can get help? You can call ADIS any time of the day or week for education, information, support, counselling and referral to services in NSW.

ADIS clinicians understand the difficulties of speaking out, seeking help and finding appropriate drug and alcohol treatment, and use their knowledge and experience to assist you and answer questions, such as:

• How can I cut-down or stop my alcohol or drug use?
  
• What help can I get?
  
• Do I have to wait long to get help?
  
• Can anyone ring ADIS?
  
• Who do I talk to when I ring ADIS?
  
• Will drug and alcohol treatments be difficult?
  
• What is this drug doing to me?
  
• What are the short and long term problems that could develop if I continue using?
  
• Will ADIS tell anyone that I rang?
  
• What can I expect when I ring?
  
• Does ADIS record calls?
  

You can call ADIS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 250 015 or start a Web Chat with an ADIS counsellor online Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm.

ADIS also has a range of telephone lines offering specialised drug and alcohol information and support to particular groups.