Knowing what to do after an overdose in Indiana can feel impossible in the moment, which is exactly why it helps to know the steps before you ever need them. An overdose is terrifying, and the hours and days that follow are confusing on their own. This guide walks families through it in order, from the emergency itself to the treatment that lowers the risk of it happening again. Read it now, and save it, so the plan is already in your head when the panic hits.
During the overdose: the first minutes
If someone is unresponsive and you suspect an overdose, these steps come first and in this order:
- Call 911 right away. Say the person is not breathing or is unresponsive and give your location.
- Give naloxone if you have it. Use a second dose after two to three minutes if there is no response, since fentanyl often requires more than one.
- Support breathing. If you are trained, give rescue breaths. If not, follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
- Keep them on their side in the recovery position so they do not choke if they vomit.
- Stay with them until help arrives. An overdose can return as naloxone wears off.
Indiana’s Good Samaritan protections
Fear of arrest keeps people from calling 911, and that fear costs lives. Indiana’s overdose Good Samaritan law provides limited immunity to a person who, in good faith, seeks medical help for someone who is overdosing, as long as they meet the law’s conditions such as calling for help, giving their name, and staying to cooperate. The protection has limits, so it is not a promise that nothing can ever happen, but the law exists specifically so that calling for help is the safest choice. Separately, Aaron’s Law protects anyone who administers naloxone. When someone’s life is on the line, make the call.
The first hours: the emergency room
Naloxone reverses an overdose, but it does not mean the danger has passed. Because its effects can wear off before the opioids do, the person can slip back into overdose after they seem fine. That is why emergency evaluation matters, and why refusing transport or leaving against medical advice is risky. In the emergency room, staff can monitor for a return of symptoms, treat complications, and begin talking about next steps. For many families, this is the first real opening to bring up treatment.
Some Indiana emergency departments can now start medication-assisted treatment on the spot and connect patients directly to ongoing care, a practice known as a warm handoff. If the option is offered, take it. Starting medication and booking the next appointment before leaving the hospital removes the gap where so many people fall through.
The first days: detox and stabilization
After the immediate crisis, the body often needs to withdraw from the substance safely. For opioids, alcohol, and benzodiazepines, medical detox provides supervision and medication so that withdrawal is safer and more bearable. This is a short, stabilizing step, not treatment on its own, and it sets up everything that follows.
Red Ribbon Recovery Indiana does not provide detox or inpatient rehab in Indiana at our facility. When a higher level of care is needed first, we coordinate that placement with trusted partners, then bring the person into our outpatient programs once they are medically stable. You do not have to find a detox bed on your own.
The next step: treatment that prevents the next overdose
This is the step families most often skip, and it is the one that changes the outcome. Overdose risk is highest in the days right after a reversal, because tolerance drops while the addiction remains. Detox alone, without treatment to follow, leaves that risk in place. Real recovery starts when the person moves into ongoing care.
That care usually includes a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program for structure, medication-assisted treatment to manage cravings, and dual diagnosis support when anxiety, depression, or trauma sit underneath the substance use. Read more about our opioid addiction treatment in Indiana and drug addiction treatment in Indiana to see how the pieces fit together.
The weeks that follow: building a recovery that lasts
Treatment is the turning point, and the weeks after it are where recovery becomes durable. That means staying in an outpatient program long enough to build new habits, leaning on aftercare and support groups, and, for some people, moving into recovery housing that keeps the environment stable. Families play a role here too. Attending a family session, learning about the disease, and setting healthy boundaries all raise the odds that recovery holds. Overdose is rarely a single event, and the response cannot be a single step either. A connected plan, followed over months, is what keeps a person alive and moving forward.
How to talk to your loved one
In the raw hours after an overdose, what you say matters. Lead with relief that they are alive rather than anger, even though the anger is understandable. Keep it simple and direct. Tell them you love them, that you are scared, and that you want to help them get into treatment now while the door is open. Avoid ultimatums you are not ready to keep. The aim is to keep them talking and to move toward the next appointment, not to win the argument.
Timing matters as much as words. The person may be exhausted, ashamed, or in withdrawal, so keep it short and come back to it more than once rather than trying to settle everything in one conversation. Consistency, not intensity, is what gets through.
How Red Ribbon Recovery Indiana helps
Red Ribbon Recovery Indiana guides families through the whole sequence. We help coordinate detox or residential referrals when they are needed, and we provide the outpatient treatment that follows, including a partial hospitalization program, an intensive outpatient program, medication-assisted treatment, dual diagnosis care, telehealth addiction treatment in Indiana, and long-term aftercare. One call gets you a plan instead of a pile of phone numbers.
For many people, the right next step after medical stabilization is structured day treatment. Our PHP in Indiana typically begins within a day or two of the first call.
Insurance and cost are usually the first questions, and they should not slow you down at a moment like this. We verify your benefits quickly and walk you through what care will look like before you commit to anything, so the path forward is clear while the window is still open.
A note on this topic: overdose and addiction are heavy, and if you are struggling with your own safety or emotional health right now, you are not alone. You can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night, for free and confidential support for a mental health or substance use crisis. In a life-threatening medical emergency, always call 911.
Frequently asked questions
Will I be arrested for calling 911 during an overdose in Indiana?
Indiana’s overdose Good Samaritan law gives limited protection to people who call for help in good faith and meet its conditions. The safest and right choice is always to call.
Is detox enough after an overdose?
No. Detox stabilizes the body, but overdose risk stays high without treatment afterward. Ongoing care is what prevents the next one.
How fast can we get into treatment?
Often within days. Call to verify insurance and we will help coordinate the right starting point.
The window after an overdose does not stay open long. Call Red Ribbon Recovery Indiana at (317) 707-9848 today to verify your insurance and start a plan.
Sources
- Indiana Department of Health. (n.d.). Aaron’s Law and the overdose Good Samaritan law. IN.gov.
- Overdose Lifeline. (n.d.). Naloxone distribution in Indiana.
- 988 Indiana. (n.d.). 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- Indiana Public Media. (March 23, 2026). Drop in opioid overdose deaths nears 50% since 2023. Indiana Public Media.
- Indiana Department of Health. (n.d.). Overdose prevention. IN.gov.
