# ARTICLE DELIVERABLE: /addiction hub (Substances and Addictions)

- Target URL: https://archangelcenters.netlify.app/addiction (slug stays /addiction/)
- Primary keyword: substance use disorder
- Secondary: drug addiction, signs of substance use disorder, substance abuse treatment NJ
- Title tag: Substance Use Disorder: Signs, Types, and Treatment | The Archangel Centers
- Meta description: Substance use disorder is a treatable medical condition diagnosed by 11 DSM-5 criteria. Learn the signs, the 9 substance types we treat, and how outpatient treatment works at The Archangel Centers in Tinton Falls, NJ.
- Built from: Cleveland Clinic #2 (3,610 words, base outline) + 30 UULE PAA harvest (Tinton Falls, NJ) + psychiatry.org #3
- Word count target band: 3,970-4,330

---

# Substance Use Disorder: Signs, Types, and Treatment That Works

If you are reading this page, something probably already feels wrong. Maybe it is your own use of alcohol, pills, or another substance that has quietly grown past your control. Maybe it is someone you love, and you are trying to figure out whether what you are seeing has a name, and what you are supposed to do next. It does have a name: substance use disorder. It is a recognized, diagnosable, treatable medical condition, not a moral failure, and the fact that you are looking for answers is the first step nearly every recovery story starts with.

This guide defines substance use disorder the way clinicians actually diagnose it, walks through every substance category we treat at The Archangel Centers, and explains exactly what evidence-based outpatient treatment looks like in New Jersey, so you know what happens after you make the call.

## What Is Substance Use Disorder?

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable mental health condition defined by a problematic pattern of substance use that a person continues despite harmful consequences to their health, relationships, work, or safety. It ranges from mild to severe, and the severe end is what most people mean by "addiction."

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines SUD by 11 specific criteria. A person who meets at least 2 of the 11 criteria within the same 12-month period qualifies for a diagnosis. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million Americans aged 12 and older had a substance use disorder in the past year, and most of them never received treatment.

[INFOGRAPHIC 1: SUD: The 4 Clinical Themes - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/hub-a-themes-ed2-logo.png - alt: "Substance Use Disorder: The 4 Clinical Themes infographic showing impaired control, social impairment, risky use, tolerance and withdrawal, with severity scale"]

### Substance Use Disorder, Addiction, and Dependence: What Is the Difference?

The three terms get used interchangeably, but they are not identical. Substance use disorder is the clinical diagnosis, graded mild, moderate, or severe. Addiction is the common name for severe SUD, where use feels compulsive and continues despite serious consequences. Physical dependence is narrower: the body has adapted to the substance, so stopping triggers withdrawal. Dependence can exist without addiction. A patient taking prescribed opioids exactly as directed can be physically dependent without having a use disorder, and that distinction changes how a clinician approaches treatment.

Is addiction a mental illness? Yes. The DSM-5 classifies substance use disorders as mental health conditions, and major medical bodies including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine treat addiction as a chronic medical disease involving brain circuits, genetics, environment, and life experience, in the same category of seriousness as diabetes or hypertension.

### The Types of Substance Use Disorder

The DSM-5 names a use disorder for each major substance class. The most common types include:

- Alcohol use disorder
- Opioid use disorder (heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioids)
- Stimulant use disorder (cocaine and methamphetamine)
- Sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder (benzodiazepines and sleep medications)
- Cannabis use disorder
- Tobacco use disorder

### What Is the Most Common Substance Use Disorder?

Alcohol use disorder is the most common substance use disorder in the United States. Alcohol is legal, socially embedded, and easy to access, which is exactly why problems with it hide in plain sight for years. Nicotine and cannabis use disorders follow close behind, with opioid and stimulant use disorders driving the most severe medical harm.

## How Dependence Develops

Nobody chooses addiction. The progression from first use to dependence follows a predictable biological path, and understanding it removes a lot of the shame that keeps people from getting help.

[INFOGRAPHIC 2: The Cycle of Dependence - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/hub-b-cycle-ch2-logo.png - alt: "The Cycle of Dependence infographic: substance use, dopamine surge, tolerance builds, withdrawal, using to feel normal"]

### What Causes Substance Use Disorder?

Every addictive substance triggers a surge of dopamine in the brain's reward circuitry. With repeated use, the brain adapts: it produces less dopamine on its own and becomes less responsive to it. That adaptation is tolerance, and it has a cruel consequence. The substance gradually stops producing the pleasure it once did, while stopping it produces real physical and psychological pain. At that point a person is no longer using to feel good. They are using to feel normal. That is the cycle of dependence, and it is a brain change, not a willpower problem.

### How Substances Affect the Brain

Different substance classes hijack different brain systems, which is why withdrawal looks so different from one substance to the next:

- **Alcohol** alters GABA and glutamate signaling, the brain's main brake and accelerator. Heavy, sustained use followed by sudden stopping can cause seizures, which is why alcohol withdrawal needs medical supervision.
- **Opioids** bind to mu-opioid receptors and suppress the body's natural pain management, producing intense physical withdrawal.
- **Benzodiazepines** amplify GABA's calming signal. Like alcohol, benzodiazepine withdrawal is one of the few that can be medically dangerous.
- **Stimulants** flood the brain with dopamine. Withdrawal is primarily psychological: crashing mood, exhaustion, and intense craving.

[INFOGRAPHIC 3: How Substances Affect the Brain - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/hub-d-brain-ed3-logo.png - alt: "How Substances Affect the Brain infographic: alcohol alters GABA and glutamate, opioids bind opioid receptors, benzodiazepines amplify GABA calming, stimulants flood dopamine"]

### The Stages of Substance Use Disorder

Clinicians commonly describe the progression in five stages: initial use, misuse, tolerance, dependence, and addiction, with relapse as a possible stage of the recovery process rather than a verdict on it. The crucial fact about the stages is that treatment works at every single one of them. Earlier is easier, but later is never hopeless.

### Risk Factors for Substance Use Disorder

No single factor predicts who develops a substance use disorder. Risk rises when several of these stack together:

- **Genetics.** Family history accounts for a substantial share of addiction risk.
- **Early use.** Substance use generally begins in adolescence or early adulthood, when the developing brain is most vulnerable to lasting changes.
- **Mental health conditions.** Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD all raise risk, often because substances start as self-medication.
- **Trauma.** Adverse childhood experiences and untreated trauma are among the strongest predictors.
- **Environment.** Easy access, heavy use in the household or peer group, and chronic stress all contribute.

A risk factor is not a sentence. It is a reason to take warning signs seriously sooner.

## Signs and Symptoms of Substance Use Disorder

### The 11 DSM-5 Criteria

A clinician diagnoses SUD when at least 2 of these 11 criteria occur within a 12-month period:

1. Taking the substance in larger amounts or for longer than intended
2. Wanting to cut down or stop, but not managing to
3. Spending significant time obtaining, using, or recovering from the substance
4. Craving: a strong desire or urge to use
5. Failing to meet obligations at work, school, or home because of use
6. Continuing to use despite relationship problems caused or worsened by it
7. Giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities
8. Using in physically hazardous situations, such as driving
9. Continuing despite knowing it is causing or worsening a physical or psychological problem
10. Tolerance: needing more for the same effect
11. Withdrawal: physical or psychological symptoms when stopping

### The Four Symptom Clusters

Those 11 criteria group into four clusters, and the grouping is useful because it tells you where to look: impaired control (criteria 1-4), social impairment (criteria 5-7), risky use (criteria 8-9), and pharmacological dependence, meaning tolerance and withdrawal (criteria 10-11).

### How Severe Is It? Mild, Moderate, and Severe SUD

Severity is graded by how many criteria a person meets in 12 months: 2 to 3 criteria is mild, 4 to 5 is moderate, and 6 or more is severe. Two honest answers on that list of 11 is already a clinical reason for a screening. Most people wait until the count is far higher. You do not have to.

## The Substances We Treat

The Archangel Centers treats the full range of substance use disorders in one outpatient continuum. Each substance behaves differently in the body, carries different withdrawal risks, and responds to different medications, so each one links to its own in-depth guide.

[INFOGRAPHIC 4: The Substances We Treat - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/hub-c-substances-ad1-logo.png - alt: "The Substances We Treat infographic: alcohol, opioids, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, prescription drugs, polysubstance use"]

- **[Alcohol](/addiction/alcohol/).** The most common use disorder, and one of the two whose withdrawal can be medically dangerous. Treatment pairs medical support with therapy and relapse prevention.
- **[Opioids](/addiction/opioids/).** Heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers. Medication-assisted treatment with Suboxone, Sublocade, or Vivitrol is the evidence-based standard.
- **[Fentanyl](/addiction/fentanyl/).** A synthetic opioid roughly 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine that now dominates the illicit supply and drives the overdose crisis.
- **[Heroin](/addiction/heroin/).** Almost always fentanyl-contaminated in the current supply, which makes every use unpredictable and naloxone essential.
- **[Cocaine](/addiction/cocaine/).** A short-acting stimulant with a binge-and-crash pattern and serious cardiac risks, treated with behavioral therapies like contingency management.
- **[Benzodiazepines](/addiction/benzodiazepines/).** Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and similar medications. Never stop suddenly after daily use: withdrawal can cause seizures, so a medical taper is required.
- **[Methamphetamine](/addiction/meth/).** A long-acting stimulant. Recovery is slower than most substances, and documented brain recovery continues over 12 to 24 months of abstinence.
- **[Prescription drugs](/addiction/prescription-drugs/).** Opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, ADHD stimulants, and sleep medications. A valid prescription can still become a use disorder.
- **[Polysubstance use](/addiction/polysubstance/).** Most real cases involve more than one substance, and certain combinations, like opioids with benzodiazepines, multiply overdose risk.

## The Complications of Untreated Substance Use Disorder

Substance use disorder is progressive. Left untreated, the predictable complications include overdose, which is now the leading cause of death for American adults aged 18 to 45 largely because of fentanyl; organ damage, from liver disease in heavy alcohol use to cardiac injury from stimulants; infectious disease, including HIV and hepatitis C from injection use; worsening mental health, since substance use and conditions like depression and anxiety feed each other; and the steady erosion of work, finances, custody, and relationships that families know too well.

None of these complications are reasons for shame. They are reasons for urgency.

## How Substance Use Disorder Is Diagnosed

Diagnosis is a structured clinical assessment, not a judgment call. At The Archangel Centers, intake includes the ASAM Criteria to determine the right level of care, LOCUS for mental health acuity, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screens for depression and anxiety, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, and a full biopsychosocial assessment covering substance history, medical needs, and life circumstances. The result is a severity grade and a treatment plan matched to it, usually with a medical provider consult available within about 48 hours of the first call.

If you are wondering about older terminology: the DSM-IV used to separate "substance abuse" from "substance dependence" as two different diagnoses. The DSM-5 merged them in 2013 into the single substance use disorder diagnosis graded by severity, which is the standard every accredited treatment provider uses today.

## How Substance Use Disorder Is Treated

The most effective treatment for substance use disorder combines behavioral therapy with medication where it applies, delivered at the right intensity for the person's severity, and sustained long enough to hold. That is not one-size-fits-all, which is why structured levels of care exist.

[INFOGRAPHIC 5: The Outpatient Continuum of Care - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/final-t2-s1-logo.png - alt: "The Outpatient Continuum of Care infographic: Partial Care, IOP, Outpatient, Aftercare"]

### The First Step

The first step in treating a substance use disorder is a clinical assessment, because the assessment determines everything that follows: whether medically supervised detox is needed first, which level of care fits, and which medications apply. For substances with dangerous withdrawal, alcohol and benzodiazepines especially, detox at an accredited partner facility comes before outpatient work, and we coordinate that placement directly.

### The Levels of Care

- **Partial Care (PHP).** Full-day structured treatment, five days a week: daily group therapy, individual sessions, and medication management. The highest intensity short of residential care.
- **Intensive Outpatient (IOP).** Three to five days a week, built so treatment fits around work, school, or parenting.
- **Outpatient (OP).** Weekly step-down care that maintains momentum as independence grows.
- **Aftercare.** Relapse prevention planning, alumni support, and recovery community connection.

Care steps down as recovery strengthens. Clients enter at the level their assessment indicates, not at the top by default.

### Therapy: What Actually Happens in Treatment

[INFOGRAPHIC 6: Treatment Modalities - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/hub-e-modalities-iw1-logo.png - alt: "Treatment Modalities infographic: CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, MAT, Trauma and EMDR, Group Therapy, Family Therapy, Relapse Prevention"]

Plans are tailored to each person, not each substance. The evidence-based modalities used across substance types at The Archangel Centers include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for identifying triggers and building coping skills, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for emotional regulation, motivational interviewing for working through ambivalence, trauma-informed care with EMDR for processing the experiences that often sit underneath use, plus structured group therapy, family therapy, and detailed relapse prevention planning.

### Medication-Assisted Treatment

For opioid and alcohol use disorders, medications materially improve outcomes. Suboxone and Sublocade (buprenorphine) reduce craving and withdrawal; Vivitrol (naltrexone) blocks opioid effects entirely and also supports alcohol recovery. Used as prescribed, these medications do not replace one addiction with another. They stabilize brain chemistry so therapy can work, and staying on them for an appropriate duration is one of the strongest predictors of sustained recovery. For stimulant use disorders, where no FDA-approved medication exists yet, behavioral treatments like contingency management and the Matrix Model carry the evidence.

### Co-Occurring Conditions: Dual Diagnosis as the Default

[INFOGRAPHIC 7: Co-Occurring Conditions - https://archangel-infographics.vercel.app/out/hub-f-dual-pc2-logo.png - alt: "Co-Occurring Conditions infographic: substance use disorder and mental health conditions overlapping as dual diagnosis"]

Most people who meet criteria for a substance use disorder also meet criteria for at least one mental health condition, most commonly depression, anxiety, PTSD, or ADHD. Treating one while ignoring the other is how relapse happens, so both are treated together, not in sequence. Our clinical team assesses for co-occurring conditions at intake and integrates psychiatric care into the same treatment plan.

### How Withdrawal Compares Across Substances

Withdrawal is the single biggest fear that keeps people using, so it helps to know exactly what each substance involves and which ones require medical management before outpatient treatment begins.

| Substance | Withdrawal begins | Acute phase | Key risks | Medical detox needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | 6-24 hours after last drink | Days, peak around 72 hours | Seizures, delirium tremens | Yes, always assess first |
| Opioids (short-acting) | 8-24 hours | 5-10 days | Severe flu-like misery, relapse-overdose risk from lost tolerance | Coordinated with MAT induction |
| Benzodiazepines | Varies by half-life | Weeks to months via taper | Seizures, delirium; never stop suddenly | Yes, medical taper required |
| Cocaine | Within hours (the crash) | Days 2-10 | Depression, suicidality in the crash window | No, but structure is critical |
| Methamphetamine | Within 24 hours | Days 2-10 | Severe depression, intense craving | No, but early relapse risk is highest |

Two patterns matter most. First, alcohol and benzodiazepines are the two classes where stopping abruptly can be medically dangerous, which is why assessment always comes before any quit attempt. Second, stimulant withdrawal is psychological rather than physical, which fools people into thinking it is easier; the crash-phase depression and craving are exactly when structured daily treatment protects people.

### What the First Week of Treatment Looks Like

Fear of the unknown stops more admissions than cost does, so here is the actual sequence at The Archangel Centers. Day one is the confidential intake call: substance history, insurance verification, and scheduling. Within roughly 48 hours you meet a medical provider who reviews withdrawal risk and, where it applies, starts medication. If detox is needed first, we coordinate placement at an accredited partner facility and you transition back to us directly afterward. Your first treatment week then follows your assessed level of care: daily structured groups and an individual session at Partial Care, or three to five sessions at IOP. By the end of week one you have a written treatment plan, a therapist, a psychiatrist where needed, and a schedule. Nothing about it is a mystery, and nothing about it requires putting your life on hold.

## How to Help a Family Member With a Substance Use Disorder

Families usually see the disorder before the person living with it does, and what you do with that knowledge matters. Lead with specific, non-judgmental observations rather than accusations: "you missed Maya's recital twice" lands differently than "you are an addict." Learn how the condition works, because shame-based confrontation reliably backfires while informed concern opens doors. Set boundaries that protect you and stop absorbing consequences, since covering for missed work or paying off debts delays the moment reality breaks through. Most importantly, have a concrete next step ready for the moment willingness appears: that window is often short, and "I found a place in Tinton Falls that does a free confidential assessment and can see you this week" is a far more usable offer than "you need to get help." Family therapy at The Archangel Centers also treats the family system itself, because recovery sticks better in a household that has healed alongside the person.

## What Is the Outlook? Can Substance Use Disorder Be Cured?

There is no cure in the strict medical sense, and any program promising one should worry you. What the evidence shows instead is that substance use disorder is a manageable chronic condition, like diabetes or hypertension, where sustained treatment produces sustained remission. Millions of Americans are in long-term recovery right now. Relapse, if it happens, is information about what the treatment plan needs, not proof that treatment failed; multiple treatment episodes over time actually predict eventual stable recovery. The realistic goal is not a cure. It is a life where the substance no longer makes the decisions.

## Can Substance Use Disorder Be Prevented?

Substance use generally starts in adolescence or early adulthood, so prevention concentrates there: delaying first use, treating mental health conditions early instead of letting them fester into self-medication, honest family conversations about substance use, and secure storage and disposal of prescription medications at home. For adults already using, prevention means acting at the misuse stage, when the criteria count is still low and treatment is shortest.

## When to Seek Help in New Jersey

See a provider when substance use is causing problems and continuing anyway, when attempts to cut back keep failing, or when stopping triggers physical symptoms. Two or more of the 11 criteria within a year is the clinical threshold, and withdrawal symptoms from alcohol or benzodiazepines are a medical reason to call before stopping on your own.

One New Jersey-specific point worth knowing: the state's Overdose Prevention Act provides legal protection for people who call 911 during an overdose emergency, for the caller and the person overdosing alike. If you witness an overdose, call 911 and give naloxone if it is available. Fear of arrest should never delay that call.

The Archangel Centers provides licensed outpatient addiction treatment in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, with a Charlotte, North Carolina location opening soon. Admissions are available 24/7, intake is 100% confidential, benefits verification is free, and same-week placement is often possible. Call (888) 464-2144 or verify your insurance online: we work with major commercial insurers including Aetna, Cigna, and BlueCross BlueShield.

## Frequently Asked Questions About Substance Use Disorder

### What are the 4 C's of substance use disorder?

The 4 C's are craving, compulsion, loss of control, and continued use despite consequences. Clinicians use this shorthand to capture the core of addiction: the drive to use becomes involuntary, and the consequences stop changing the behavior. All four map directly onto the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria.

### What are the 5 stages of a substance use disorder?

The five commonly described stages are initial use, misuse, tolerance, dependence, and addiction, with relapse sometimes named as part of the recovery cycle. Each stage marks deeper brain adaptation. Treatment is effective at every stage, and earlier intervention means shorter, less intensive treatment.

### What is an example of a substance use disorder?

Alcohol use disorder is the most common example: drinking more than intended, failed attempts to cut back, rising tolerance, and morning withdrawal symptoms. Opioid use disorder is another, where prescribed painkiller use progresses to taking more than prescribed or buying pills outside medical care.

### What are 5 common signs of substance use disorder?

Five signs clinicians screen for first: using more than intended, failed attempts to quit, strong cravings, rising tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when stopping. Two or more signs within 12 months meets the diagnostic threshold and warrants a professional screening, which takes about an hour.

### What is the 3-3-3 rule for addiction?

The 3-3-3 rule is a grounding technique for cravings and anxiety: name three things you can see, three sounds you can hear, then move three parts of your body. It interrupts the craving spiral in the moment. It supports treatment but does not replace it.

### What are the 5 A's of substance abuse?

The 5 A's are a brief intervention framework used by clinicians: Ask about use, Advise change, Assess readiness, Assist with a plan, and Arrange follow-up. Originally built for tobacco cessation, providers now apply it across substance use screening in primary care.

### What is the number one addiction in America?

Alcohol. Roughly 134.7 million Americans aged 12 and older drink, and alcohol use disorder is the most prevalent substance use disorder in the country by a wide margin. Nicotine ranks second. Opioids drive the most overdose deaths despite a smaller user population.

### What is the root cause of every addiction?

There is no single root cause. Addiction develops from interacting factors: genetic vulnerability, early first use, trauma, untreated mental health conditions, and environment. That is why effective treatment is individualized, addressing the specific drivers behind one person's use rather than applying one formula.

### How do you help someone with a substance use disorder?

Start by learning about the condition, then talk to them without shame or ultimatums, using specific observations instead of accusations. Set boundaries that protect you, avoid covering consequences for them, and offer a concrete next step, like a free confidential assessment, rather than a vague demand.

### Is addiction a disease or a choice?

Medical consensus classifies addiction as a chronic brain disease, not a choice. First use may be voluntary, but repeated use changes brain circuits governing reward, stress, and self-control until use becomes compulsive. That is why willpower alone fails and structured treatment works.

### What mental health disorders are linked to substance use?

Depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and bipolar disorder co-occur with substance use most often. The relationship runs both directions: substances are used to self-medicate symptoms, and substance use worsens the underlying condition. Dual diagnosis treatment addresses both together, which measurably improves outcomes.

### What is the difference between DSM-IV and DSM-5 substance use disorder?

The DSM-IV split diagnosis into "substance abuse" and "substance dependence" as separate conditions. The DSM-5, published in 2013, merged them into one substance use disorder diagnosis graded mild, moderate, or severe by criteria count, and added craving as a criterion.

### When do substance use disorders usually begin?

Substance use disorders generally begin in adolescence or early adulthood, when the brain's self-control circuits are still developing. First use before age 18 substantially raises lifetime risk. That is why early screening matters and why prevention efforts concentrate on teenagers and young adults.

### What is an example of a risk factor for drug addiction?

Family history is the clearest single example: genetics account for a substantial share of addiction risk. Other documented risk factors include early first use, untreated depression or anxiety, childhood trauma, and an environment where substances are easy to access and heavily used.

---

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## YMYL CLAIMS LEDGER (all sourced, signed off 2026-06-11)

| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| DSM-5: 2+ of 11 criteria in 12 months; mild 2-3, moderate 4-5, severe 6+ | https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction-substance-use-disorders/what-is-a-substance-use-disorder |
| 48.5 million Americans 12+ had SUD in past year; most untreated | https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (2023 NSDUH) |
| Alcohol use disorder most common SUD; 134.7M Americans 12+ drink | 2023 NSDUH, same report (figure also surfaced verbatim in Google PAA) |
| Fentanyl 50-100x more potent than morphine | https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl |
| Overdose leading cause of death, US adults 18-45 | Client fentanyl page + widely reported CDC WONDER data: https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/ |
| Alcohol/benzo withdrawal can cause seizures, needs medical supervision | https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16652-drug-addiction-substance-use-disorder-sud + client benzodiazepines page |
| DSM-IV abuse/dependence merged into SUD in DSM-5 (2013) | https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm |
| MAT (buprenorphine/naltrexone) improves outcomes, retention | https://www.samhsa.gov/medications-substance-use-disorders |
| Meth brain recovery documented at 12-24 months abstinence | https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine (client meth page mirrors this) |
| Archangel facts: Tinton Falls NJ + Charlotte NC coming soon, 24/7 admissions, ~48hr provider consult, same-week placement, insurers | Client site (archangelcenters.netlify.app key-facts blocks) |
| NJ Overdose Prevention Act: 911 caller + overdose victim immunity | https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/initiatives/managed/Overdose_Prevention_Act.html |

## INTERNAL LINKS (9 substance pages + conversions)
/addiction/alcohol/, /addiction/opioids/, /addiction/fentanyl/, /addiction/heroin/, /addiction/cocaine/, /addiction/benzodiazepines/, /addiction/meth/, /addiction/prescription-drugs/, /addiction/polysubstance/ (all in The Substances We Treat section). CTA links: contact/insurance verification page.

## EXTERNAL LINKS (authority, 2)
- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction-substance-use-disorders/what-is-a-substance-use-disorder (DSM-5 criteria)
- https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2023-nsduh-annual-national-report (prevalence data)

## INFOGRAPHIC PLACEMENTS (7, all live)
1. 4 Clinical Themes (editorial) after the DSM intro
2. Cycle of Dependence (chalk) opening How Dependence Develops
3. How Substances Affect the Brain (editorial) in the brain section
4. The Substances We Treat (art-deco) opening that section
5. Outpatient Continuum (editorial) opening treatment
6. Treatment Modalities (ink wash) in therapy section
7. Co-Occurring venn (paper-craft) in dual diagnosis section