Addiction & Recovery at Ignite Counseling
When problems with substance use arise, they don’t discriminate. Addiction knows no gender, age, or socioeconomic status. It can affect anyone and everyone. Whether it’s alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, cocaine, or psychedelics, anything that gets you high has the potential to become a problem.
A Shift in Understanding: Addiction as a Brain Disease
This led us to question why. Why is substance misuse and addiction so pervasive? The answer came in 2017 when the Surgeon General issued groundbreaking findings on the Neurobiology of Substance Use, Misuse, and Addiction, stating:
“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 details how our brains adapt to substance use, resulting in actual changes to the functioning of brain systems that persist long after the “high” has worn off.
Recovery Has a Biological Basis: The Power of Your Brain
This scientific understanding is actually good news, especially when we focus on the final 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 also have amazing plasticity, which means we can reprogram, retrain, and keep learning throughout our lives. 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, but you can also throw away the shame, guilt, and moral stigma that addiction has carried for centuries. Thanks to this understanding, addiction is now treated as a medical condition, just like any other physical ailment.
Our Approach to Addiction Therapy
At Ignite Counseling, we believe in a collaborative and evidence-based approach to recovery that is tailored to you.
What about AA and other 12-Step programs?
Many of our clients are curious to know our stance on AA and other sobriety programs. 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 our practice, we have found that evidence-based psychotherapy treatments can be combined with any number of healing modalities, including:
- Fitness and nutrition regimens
- Meditation and mindfulness training
- Emotional intelligence training
- Sobriety programs like AA
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 is that it depends on your goals, and on various 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.
Our role at Ignite Counseling is to help you understand the options and potential outcomes of your choices with an open mind and an unwavering commitment to helping you achieve your goals.
Conveniently Located in Denver Metro
We are committed to making addiction and recovery support accessible. You can meet with our expert therapists at our conveniently located offices throughout Denver and Boulder counties.
Situated just off US-36, our Westminster office provides care to clients in Westminster, Broomfield, Arvada, Northglenn, and nearby North Metro Denver communities.
Our Denver office is positioned to serve clients throughout Southeast Denver, Greenwood Village, Centennial, and the surrounding South Metro communities.
Our Longmont office is conveniently located to serve individuals and families across Longmont, Niwot, Frederick, Firestone, and neighboring Boulder County communities.
Ready to Begin Your Recovery Journey?
You don’t have to face addiction alone. At Ignite Counseling, we help you rediscover balance, rebuild trust, and regain control one step at a time. Our compassionate therapists use evidence-based care designed to meet you exactly where you are in your recovery process.