Help / Talk to a person
If you need
help now.
I'm not an expert and this site can't help you in a crisis. These people can.
One of the biggest things I learned at the start was that I couldn't do this by myself. If you're reading this because you're worried about your own drinking, or somebody else's, please talk to an actual person.
Right now
- Emergency: if someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
- Samaritans: call 116 123, free, any time, day or night. samaritans.org
- NHS 24 (Scotland): call 111 if you need urgent medical advice and it can't wait for your GP.
- Breathing Space (Scotland): call 0800 83 85 87, free. Monday to Thursday 6pm to 2am, and from Friday 6pm right through to Monday 6am. breathingspace.scot
About drinking
- Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain): free helpline 0800 917 7650, or email help@aamail.org. They can also tell you where your nearest meeting is. alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
- SMART Recovery UK: free mutual-aid meetings, in person and online, built around practical tools rather than steps. smartrecovery.org.uk
- Your GP: a good place to start, and worth telling if you've been drinking heavily. Stopping suddenly after heavy daily drinking can be dangerous, so get medical advice first.
- Local services: most areas have an alcohol and drug recovery service. I'm working with mine. Your GP, or a search for your council area plus "alcohol and drug partnership", will find yours.
If it's someone you love
- Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs: helpline 08080 10 10 11, weekdays 9am to 11pm, with a call-back service at weekends. sfad.org.uk
Numbers and hours checked on 10 October 2026. If something here is out of date, please let me know on Instagram.