🔍 Finding addiction counselling

How to find an addiction advice centre near you – free of charge, anonymous if you wish, no referral needed.

addiction advice centre confidentiality DHS addiction help directory anonymity DigiSucht

In brief

Addiction advice centres are the central first point of contact for problems with alcohol, drugs, medication or gambling – for people affected as well as for relatives. According to the DHS, access is "unconditional": you can stay anonymous if you wish, and you need no medical referral and no proof of insurance. Counselling is free of charge; the staff are bound by confidentiality.

Advice centres are mostly run by welfare associations (e.g. Caritas, Diakonie, AWO, DRK) or local authorities. There is no nationwide, central overview of providers – the landscape differs by municipality and federal state.

Step by step

Look for a local advice centreUse the DHS addiction help directory (via dhs.de) or ask your GP, Jobcenter or health insurance fund.
Sound things out digitally or by phoneIf making personal contact is too big a hurdle, use DigiSucht (suchtberatung.digital) or the Sucht & Drogen Hotline (01806 313031, round the clock).
Arrange an initial meetingThe initial meeting is for taking stock; the advice centre helps you organise further steps and prepare applications.

Deadlines

01806 313031

Sucht & Drogen Hotline, nationwide, round the clock (20 cents per call from German landline and mobile networks).Verbund regionaler Drogennotdienste (network of regional drug emergency services)

€0

Counselling is free of charge in principle; anonymous if you wish, no referral needed.DHS, principle of addiction counselling

~1,300–1,400

Order of magnitude of outpatient addiction advice centres nationwide (to be understood as a range, not an exact figure).DHS, dhs.de (not officially quantified in a uniform way)

Watch out – common mistakes

There is no nationwide list of providers – the actual choice locally varies from municipality to municipality.
Anonymous counselling does not automatically mean anonymous cost coverage: as soon as a service (e.g. rehab) is applied for, personal details must be given to the funding body.
The actual waiting time for a counselling appointment is not documented uniformly nationwide; if in doubt, ask several centres.

In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Legal background

There is no nationwide, individually enforceable legal entitlement to addiction counselling. For people receiving Bürgergeld/Grundsicherungsgeld, addiction counselling can be provided as a local-authority integration benefit under § 16a Nr. 4 SGB II – a discretionary ("may") benefit, not an individual entitlement. In 2023 the DHS called for a statutory legal entitlement to funding of addiction counselling because, in its assessment, there is none.

Nationwide referral services

Besides the DHS addiction help directory, there is DigiSucht (suchtberatung.digital) as a free, anonymous online counselling service, the Sucht & Drogen Hotline (01806 313031) and BIÖG information lines (formerly BZgA), e.g. addiction prevention (0221 89 20 31), smoking cessation (0800 8 31 31 31) and gambling addiction (0800 1 37 27 00).

Funding crisis

According to a DHS report of 26 September 2024, around three quarters of publicly funded addiction advice centres cannot cover their costs; in some cases opening hours were cut or posts closed.

Uncertain/inconsistent

The exact nationwide total number of advice centres, the exact distribution by provider and up-to-date waiting times are not recorded centrally and uniformly.

Who is responsible

Local addiction advice centre (Caritas, Diakonie, AWO, DRK, municipal)
Jobcenter (funding under § 16a SGB II when receiving Bürgergeld/Grundsicherungsgeld)
DigiSucht/BIÖG information lines (nationwide first points of contact)

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Finding addiction counselling“?

How to find an addiction advice centre near you – free of charge, anonymous if you wish, no referral needed.

Which deadlines and figures matter?

01806 313031: Sucht & Drogen Hotline, nationwide, round the clock (20 cents per call from German landline and mobile networks). (Verbund regionaler Drogennotdienste (network of regional drug emergency services))
€0: Counselling is free of charge in principle; anonymous if you wish, no referral needed. (DHS, principle of addiction counselling)
~1,300–1,400: Order of magnitude of outpatient addiction advice centres nationwide (to be understood as a range, not an exact figure). (DHS, dhs.de (not officially quantified in a uniform way))

What should I do first?

Look for a local advice centre: Use the DHS addiction help directory (via dhs.de) or ask your GP, Jobcenter or health insurance fund.
Sound things out digitally or by phone: If making personal contact is too big a hurdle, use DigiSucht (suchtberatung.digital) or the Sucht & Drogen Hotline (01806 313031, round the clock).
Arrange an initial meeting: The initial meeting is for taking stock; the advice centre helps you organise further steps and prepare applications.

What do I need to watch out for?

There is no nationwide list of providers – the actual choice locally varies from municipality to municipality.
Anonymous counselling does not automatically mean anonymous cost coverage: as soon as a service (e.g. rehab) is applied for, personal details must be given to the funding body.
The actual waiting time for a counselling appointment is not documented uniformly nationwide; if in doubt, ask several centres.

Evidence

DHS, "Suchtberatung", dhs.de/suchthilfe/suchtberatung/ (retrieved 09/2026)
DHS, key points for statutory rules on the funding of addiction counselling, 2023
DHS, report on the funding of addiction advice centres, 26 September 2024
§ 16a SGB II (gesetze-im-internet.de)
Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues, bundesdrogenbeauftragter.de

As of

As of September 2026. · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.