If I want to ask for help, where do I start?

Asking for help is the first important step. If you have a good relationship with your parents, you should start there. If you do not have a good relationship with your parents (or if they are having some problems of their own and might need help), find an adult you trust and ask him or her for help.

The next step is to go to your doctor.  You might want to ask your parents to call your doctor in advance to see if he or she is comfortable discussing drug use. Believe it or not, sometimes doctors are as uncomfortable discussing it as teens are!  You will want to find a doctor who has experience with these issues.

Together with your parents and doctor, you can decide if you should enter a treatment program.  If you do not have a good relationship with your parents, ask another adult you trust to help you.

It takes a lot of courage to seek help for a possible drug problem because there is a lot of hard work ahead and it might get in the way of school and social activities. But treatment works, and you can recover. It just takes time, patience, and hard work. It is important because you will not be ready to go out into the world on your own until you take care of this issue. Treatment will help you counteract addiction's powerful hold on your brain and behavior so you can regain control of your life.