Editorial standards
Our Editorial Process
People often come to us at a hard moment. Everything we publish — articles and listings — is held to the same standard: accurate, current, useful, and free of stigma.
Why It Matters
Stigma keeps many people from seeking help. It frames addiction as a choice or a weakness rather than a health condition that can be treated. We write to break down that barrier — clearly, honestly, and with respect for the people reading.
We also write for everyone. Readers should be able to find a path to care whatever their budget, insurance, background, or the level of care they need.
Our commitments
Four Commitments Behind Every Page
-
Accurate
Facts are checked against original sources, and every page is edited before it goes live.
-
Relevant and Original
We cover what readers are asking about, in our own words, and always connect hard topics back to real options for treatment and support.
-
Kept Up to Date
We review published pages regularly and update them when guidance, statistics, or resources change.
-
Empathetic and People-First
We write the way we'd want someone to speak to our own family — without judgment and without jargon.
How We Keep Content Accurate
- Sources are cited on the page, favoring government health agencies (such as SAMHSA, NIDA, NIAAA, and the CDC), medical associations, and peer-reviewed journals.
- Editors check health information against the cited primary sources before it is published.
- An editor checks every page for accuracy, clarity, and completeness before it goes live.
- We don't publish paid or sponsored articles, and advertisers never see or influence content before it's published.
- Each article shows when it was last updated.
What We Check When We Update a Page
- Statistics are current
- Facts and medical guidance
- Sources are still valid
- Links and resources work
- Language is current and person-first
- Readability
Our Standards for Listings
Listings follow the same principle as our articles: we don't publish information we haven't reviewed. Data from public sources is checked and enriched by our team before it appears, and facility representatives' changes are reviewed before they go live.
Verified listings are confirmed directly with the facility — including its license, accreditations, services, insurance, and photos — and show the date of verification. Verification is renewed every 12 months. Learn about listing types.
The Words We Use
Words shape how people see addiction and mental illness — and whether they seek help. We use person-first language that describes a condition without defining a person by it.
| Instead of | We say |
|---|---|
| Addict, junkie | Person with a substance use disorder |
| Alcoholic | Person with an alcohol use disorder |
| Abuser, user | Person who uses drugs |
| Clean / dirty | In recovery; tested negative / positive |
| Substance abuse | Substance use, or misuse |
| Relapsed (as failure) | Returned to use |
| Committed suicide | Died by suicide |
| Mentally ill | Person with a mental health condition |
Our AI Policy
Our articles are written by people. Our writers publish under pen names; every article is checked by our editors against the sources it cites. We may use AI tools to support research — for example, to find and summarize sources — but a writer checks every fact against the original source, and an editor reviews every page before it's published. We don't publish AI-generated medical guidance.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we want to fix it quickly. When we make a significant correction to an article, we update the page and its last-updated date.
Send Us a Question, Correction, or Topic Idea
Our editorial team reads every message.