Section for Substance Use Disorder Outpatient Treatment

We offer a wide range of assessment and treatment services aimed at all types of substance use and addiction issues, such as:

• Alcohol
• Cannabis
• Amphetamines, cocaine, and other stimulants
• Benzodiazepines, also known as "tranquilizers" or "nerve pills"
• Opioids such as morphine, heroin, codeine, and tramadol
• Anabolic androgenic steroids
• Gambling, trading, and gaming

Addiction is a public health issue that affects hundreds of thousands of Norwegians from all social backgrounds. Unfortunately, there are still prejudices and shame associated with this illness, which can make it difficult to seek help. With us, you will encounter expertise, respect, and understanding of your situation, regardless of who you are and where you come from. We are committed to understanding what your difficulties are about, and therefore we focus equally on social and psychological factors as well as the addiction problem.

If you find it challenging to seek treatment, you are not alone. It is natural to feel uncertain and ambivalent about both small and large change projects in life. Overuse of substances, gambling, and other behaviors ultimately relates to managing everyday life and has often been associated with something positive for many. We acknowledge this and know that motivation can fluctuate. The goal of treatment is for you to experience more control and increased quality of life.

Many who are in treatment with us struggle with mental health issues that interact with their addiction problems, and we therefore offer treatment for both. If you have physical ailments, we will establish cooperation with your general practitioner or other relevant health institutions. For many, addiction has contributed to difficult financial situations. We can help you connect with services in your district, NAV, dentists, etc. Medication-assisted rehabilitation (LAR) and heroin-assisted treatment (HABiO) for individuals with opioid-dominant addiction are part of our offerings.

You can find us at Ullevål Hospital area and Mortensrud.

The section is led by Kine Haugen.

How to Get Treatment for Substance Use and Addiction?

To receive treatment with us, you need a referral from your general practitioner, NAV, or another specialist health service.

After an assessment, you will receive a letter at home or on helsenorge.no regarding the outcome of the assessment and when any potential treatment can start.

If you are a relative, you are also welcome to us, regardless of whether the person you are related to is in treatment or not.

You need a referral from your general practitioner or NAV, both if you wish to receive treatment yourself and if you come here as a relative.

Read more about referrals for substance use and addiction treatment here.

Treatment Offer

Our treatment offer is individually tailored, with simultaneous focus on psychological, physical, and social challenges and resources. You will be assigned a permanent therapist at the start, and together you will create a plan for the treatment process. We offer several treatment approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, psychodynamic approaches, dialectical behavior therapy, and a specific treatment method aimed at trauma called EMDR. Most therapists use various methods tailored to the individual patient. As a patient, you may temporarily have another therapist if they have important expertise that your primary therapist does not have. If you have had good or bad experiences with certain treatment approaches before, it is important that you tell us so that the outcome of your treatment can be as beneficial as possible. Treatment with us is provided individually, as couples or family sessions, or in groups. We always have a varied course and group offer aimed at different needs. Your therapist will provide you with more information about this.

If necessary, your therapist will collaborate with other professionals, for example, with a doctor if medication treatment is to be considered.

For patients who struggle to attend, we have a flexible team that can assist during periods.

When you enter treatment, we will conduct an assessment of substance use (or what you were referred for) and, importantly, examine what function the use has for you. We will also ask you questions about your everyday life and life situation, as well as your mental and physical health. Sometimes we will conduct a more comprehensive assessment. If your needs change along the way, we can help you connect with other parts of the treatment system, such as inpatient treatment or municipal services. Treatment in the specialist health service is a time-limited offer.