Addiction & Recovery

When problems arise or addiction results, it knows no gender, age or socioeconomic status. It’s anyone and everyone that can develop problems with substance use. Alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, cocaine, psychedelics – whatever it is that gets you high has the potential to become a problem.

This led us to question why. Why is substance misuse and addiction so pervasive, not just in our society, but in so many others? The answer came in 2017 when the Surgeon General issued groundbreaking key findings on the Neurobiology of Substance Use, Misuse, and Addiction, citing:

“Well-supported scientific evidence shows that addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic brain disease that has potential for recurrence and recovery.”

The Surgeon General’s report goes into fascinating detail as to how our brains adapt to substance use, resulting actual changes in the functioning of brain systems that persist well after the “high” has worn off.

This is actually good news, especially when we focus on the last word of the Key Finding: recovery. Our brains are the most powerful learning machines on earth, biologically hardwired to store thoughts, experiences and emotions. Thankfully, our brains have amazing plasticity, meaning we can reprogram, retrain and keep learning well into our advanced years. Understanding the biomechanics of addiction and brain plasticity gives us the roadmap to recovery.

Want more good news? Not only can you and your amazing brain recover, you can throw away shame, guilt and the moral stigma that addiction has carried with it since time immemorial. Thanks to the Surgeon General’s ruling, more insurance companies are now covering addiction treatment in the same way they cover other physical ailments. 

What about AA and other 12-Step programs? Many of our clients are curious to know my stance on these and other sobriety programs, so here it is:  We believe that 12-step programs (both faith-based and secular) can be highly effective for some people and not at all effective for others. In my practice, we have found that evidenced-based psychotherapy treatments can be combined with any number of healing modalities:  fitness and nutrition regimens, meditation and mindfulness training, emotional intelligence training and sobriety programs.

Will I ever be able to enjoy a glass of wine again? Another question we often get is whether treatment and recovery always result in total abstinence from substance use. The answer to this and other similar questions is that it depends. It depends on your goals, and it also depends on risk factors, both genetic and circumstantial.

What about harm reduction rather than total abstinence? We are open to that. Recovery is about creating a care plan that makes sense for you, and we will always remind you that you are in the driver’s seat. We will help you understand the options and potential outcomes of your choices with an open mind and a commitment to helping you achieve your goals.