“How can you help with drug addiction?”

Speak with addiction specialists to find the right treatment for you for you.

First and foremost, I applaud you for reaching out to address this medical condition. Yes, it is a medical condition for which the treatment has evolved in the last decade. At the present time, addiction psychiatrists have the ability to prescribe medication that reduce the cravings that lead to the strong desire to continuing using that are the result of changes to the structure of the brain.

As a neuropsychologist, I identify the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional factors that have maintained the use the of substance. Secondary to a neuropsychological evaluation, I am able to work with the psychiatrist and clinical team to provide an individualized plan of care for each patient. For example, did you know that changes to the prefrontal cortex actually make it more difficult to stop using a substance independent of one's desire to do so? Once I have identified what areas are not functioning as well, then we use empirically based strategies to mitigate the likelihood of relapse as your brain heals, which it will!

Depending on what type of drug you are addicted to, you can be treated with psychotherapy and or the combination of medication ( i.e., suboxone/methadone for opioid dependence) and therapy. It's important to find therapist who is well trained in drug addiction treatment and knowledgeable in underlying unresolved trauma that I often see lead to drug addition as a form of self-medicating maladaptive coping strategy.

By behavior modification combined with craving reduction medications, AA and NA.