Addiction

If only addiction was simply about excessive substance use or behavior. It is actually about a complex interaction between: genetics, neurology, personality style, family patterns or modeling, psychosocial stressors, self-esteem, and ethnic heritage. As a snowflake theorist (we are all absolutely unique) I believe that there is no “one size fits all” approach to addiction. In a significant portion of the addiction treatment community it is heresy to say the “disease model” is not universal, or that AA and NA are not necessary for everyone. I observe and believe both.

My journey to stop drinking alcohol (in January, 1990) was unique to me and a professional helped me define that path. Addictive personalities allow substances or behaviors to crowd or threaten both work or love relationships and to compromise physical health. So, they need to be controlled or extinguished. Acknowledging a problem, defining it, developing a strategy to control or stop, and preventing relapse can all be torturous, but the insight and path need to be yours. For me, redefining fun, stress management, and leisure time pursuits as a sober man were the hardest, while stopping was less difficult.

My experience, particularly in a residential public mental health setting, has been extensive. I have personally treated the following addictions: alcohol, heroin, methamphetamine, pain medications (the Oxy’s), marijuana, cocaine (powder and crack), hallucinogens, food, gambling, work, sex, exercise, video gaming, shopping, and TV viewing. Additionally, I spent two years developing and implementing a dual diagnosis program (serious mental health diagnosis plus addiction) at the Allentown State Hospital. Prognosis for this population is guarded, and engaging with a professional becomes more crucial.

If you are one of the twenty-three million Americans addicted to a substance, or as many as fifty million to a behavior pattern, believe that the power for control exists within you! Let me help you find it.