Substance Addiction

What is substance abuse?

Sometimes referred to as addiction, substance abuse disorder is a complex brain disease that causes compulsive use of a substance despite increasingly harmful consequences. When living with addiction, you have an intense focus on securing and using a substance such as alcohol, prescription drugs, or illicit substances.

A substance abuse disorder may begin with a prescription or recreational drugs used to feel good, improve performance, or relax. However, over time, your use of the substance triggers chemical changes in the regions of your brain that control your judgment, decisiveness, learning, memory, and impulse control.

How does Total Health Primary Care treat substance abuse?

Substance abuse treatment combines a variety of treatment modalities. Total Behavioral Health combines medication and therapy to help you recover and achieve and maintain sobriety.

Medications like Suboxone® or Antabuse® control your cravings and reduce your withdrawal symptoms so you can focus your energy on therapy. During individual and group therapy, you explore the underlying issues that contribute to your addiction. You work toward resolution and learn new strategies and techniques to cope with stress and other issues instead of substance abuse.

While substance abuse is a brain disorder, you have to want to recover, be willing to work with your team and make the adjustments needed to change your life. The team at Total Behavioral Health supports you at every step of your journey.