Why Relapse exists

Our editorial principles

Relapse.com.au is written for the person reading it — usually exhausted, often anxious, occasionally in crisis — not for marketing teams or search engines. Every page on this site follows a small number of editorial principles:

1. Plain English. No clinical jargon without explanation. No marketing language at all.
2. Empathy without condescension. We assume you are an adult capable of understanding nuance, who deserves real information rather than reassurance.
3. No scare tactics. Addiction is serious. Manufactured urgency makes things worse.
4. Honest about what is free. Australia has world-class public addiction treatment. We say so on every page where it is relevant, even though it does not help our referral revenue.
5. Citations to real Australian sources. Government health agencies, peak bodies, established research organisations — not affiliate marketing copy.
6. The crisis bar stays up. Lifeline 13 11 14, 000, AOD lines — visible on every page, every device, every time. Non-negotiable.

Editorial review

Every clinical claim and treatment recommendation on Relapse.com.au is reviewed against current Australian addiction medicine guidance — primarily the RACGP guidelines on drugs of dependence, AIHW data on Australian drug use and treatment patterns, and current state and territory clinical protocols.

How we vet clinic listings

Treatment service listings are sourced from public business data and verified against state health-service directories where available. Specifically:

• Initial seed list is pulled from Google Business listings via DataForSEO (a commercial data API), filtered to services with a current rating of 3.5 or higher and at least one verified review.
• Each listing is type-classified (inpatient, outpatient, detox, counselling, support group) based on category metadata.
• Listings in our top cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra) are spot-checked manually against state health-service directories and provider websites.
• We do not accept payment for placement in directory listings.
• Listings are refreshed approximately monthly; please verify hours and intake processes directly with the service before attending.

We are explicit about the limitations: business-data feeds can lag. Phone numbers can change. Services can close. If you find an inaccuracy in any listing, please email [email protected] and we will correct it.

How we make money

Relapse.com.au is funded by referral fees from a small number of vetted partner treatment providers. When you submit a callback request, we may match you with a partner provider who pays a referral fee for accepted callbacks. We disclose this transparently because we think you deserve to know.

Two things to know about how this affects what we publish:

1. Editorial content is independent of referral relationships. Substance guides, treatment information, articles, and FAQ content are written without input from partner providers and are reviewed independently.
2. Directory listings are not paid placements. Public, NGO, and private services are listed equally, sorted by rating and review count, without payment for inclusion or position.

The model works because, for most people, the right partner provider is genuinely useful. If you would prefer to access services without a referral — and many of the best options in the Australian system do not go through paid referral networks at all — every page on this site lists free public alternatives, including state alcohol and drug helpline numbers.

Privacy

Your information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and is never shared outside of arranging the recovery support you have asked for. See the privacy policy for details.

Crisis & emergency

Relapse.com.au is not a crisis service. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, please call 000. For free 24/7 mental health support, Lifeline 13 11 14. For suspected overdose, call 000 and stay with the person until help arrives. For domestic violence, 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732.

Where to start on the site

If you are trying to find treatment for yourself or someone you love, the most useful starting points depend on what you already know. If you know your state but not much else, the rehab directory covers every state and major city with local services and helpline numbers. If you are researching by substance, the substance guides cover alcohol, ice, opioids, cannabis, prescription medications, gambling, and cocaine. If cost is the immediate question, what does rehab cost? is the clearest one-page answer; free rehab access walks through the public pathway.

For the long-form pieces — written for the person reading them, not for search engines — the articles index groups everything by topic. How to choose a rehab is the most-referenced single piece. How to talk to a loved one is the most-read by family members rather than the person directly affected.

For the data side — Australian rehab cost, wait times, treatment outcomes, funding mix, comorbidity rates — see our research and data page, which hosts ten free infographics under CC BY 4.0 with sources cited.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or feedback? Email [email protected]. For privacy concerns, [email protected]. If you represent a treatment provider and want to discuss having your service listed or correct an existing listing, [email protected] is the right address.