Hello all this is the first Blog from Reach for Recovery. We are a new addiction treatment office in the Bossier/Shreveport area. At Reach for Recovery we would like to educate clients and family members about the disease that is addiction. As many of you know addiction has become a major crippling disease to thousands across the United States, and reaches across all color lines and financial demographics. According to the American Addiction Center, there are approximately 19.7 Million American adults (age 12 and older) struggling with this disease. Why would someone choose to become an addict? Initially many clients may choose to participate in drug abuse for recreational purposes or even abuse prescription medication, some knowingly and some unsuspecting victims of prescription drug dependence. Why is it that some people can take prescription medication or use illicit drugs without future dire consequences and others end up in a constant struggle with addiction? A large part has to do with the chemical make-up of the brain which plays a major role in addiction behaviors. We help clients manage the addiction part of their disease with the goal of sobriety which clears the fog of the drug use and abuse. Once the client had attained clarity in their lives we employ the discipline of counseling and behavior modification to change behaviors and retrain the brain.
Author: Regina Willis, MSN, ACNP-C, CSAP