ADDICTIONS

    Addiction is a serious disease that affects millions of people across all walks of life regardless of education, socioeconomic status, culture, race, religion, sex, or age. The majority of people who suffer from addictive behaviors suffer from Reward Deficiency Syndrome, a genetic predisposition to a deficiency of neurotransmitters in the brain which prevents them from experiencing appropriate emotions and feelings. Use of substances or certain behaviors (e.g., gambling) causes a temporary rise in these brain chemicals, enabling the individual to feel more normal, but the patient becomes trapped in a self-medicating cycle to try and maintain normal brain chemistry. Denial of problems is serious, which can and may eventually lead to:

• family/marital problems

• work/financial problems

• legal problems

• social problems

• medical problems

• psychological problems

• death

DIAGNOSIS
The Holos^® Program offers the most comprehensive assessment possible including medical, genetic, psychological, nutritional, and psychophysiological evaluations to identify every possible factor involved in a patient’s addiction. Signs and symptoms of addiction include the following:

• impairment at work, school, or home

• legal problems due to a substance

• hazardous situations (e.g., DUI)

• arguments or fights due to a substance

• told you have a substance problem

• tolerance to effects of a substance

• withdrawal symptoms

• substance helps withdrawal symptoms

• more substance needed or for longer amount of time than prescribed

• need to reduce amount of substance taken or to control its use

• efforts made to obtain, use, or recover from the substance

• continued use of substance despite known harm to you

TREATMENT

    Comprehensive treatment of addiction involves a wellness-oriented, holistic approach. All aspects involving body, mind, spirit, nutrition, sleep, environment, and life skills are utilized to restore normal biochemistry, neurochemistry, thought processes, beliefs, behaviors, skills, and other factors involved in the addiction. Treatment services available include:

• body - often medical or physical conditions are involved in the addiction process and must be treated concurrently. Pain is a condition that must be addressed in many cases of addiction to pain killers and is often associated with medical conditions such as back problems, arthritis, etc. In some cases, the use of medications is necessary to aid in detox or withdrawal from various drugs. Physical rehabilitation or exercise therapy may be part of treatment.

• mind - individual, group, and family psychotherapy is an essential part of treatment. Behavioral components of addiction involve habits of various types. The examination of triggers and rewards (benefits) to using a substance or engaging in an addictive behavior is an important part of addiction treatment. Persons who abuse substances or engage in addictive behaviors are problem-oriented thinkers and must learn to be solution-focused. By creating a positive, thought connection, a person becomes empowered with the ability to make appropriate choices and decisions. It is also important to explore a person's beliefs as irrational beliefs lead to distorted thinking and behavior.

• spiritual - persons who suffer from addictions do not have a sense of purpose in life and lack specific life goals. What's the point in having great physical health and a sharp mind when you have nothing to do with it or anywhere to go? Bioenergetic therapy therapies, such as electro-acupuncture, Reiki, and other treatments may be employed to balance and redirect their Chi (life energy).

• psychophysiology - integration of mind and body is very important to addiction treatment. Biofeedback can help bring abnormal physiological and mental processes under control. Neurotherapies such as psycho-acoustic therapy, cranial electrical stimulation, and photostimulation (brain entrainment) therapy help synchronize mental and physiological activity through various forms of brain stimulation that is completely painless and safe.

• nutritional - Often a nutritional detox program is used for the first 90 days to help restore a patient's biochemistry and health to normal more quickly. Orthomolecular therapy is extremely effective in restoring normal biochemistry and brain chemistry. It is usually more effective than pharmaceutical interventions and has no side effects. Homeopathic or herbal medicines may also be used to treat various conditions as part of the overall addiction treatment process.

• sleep - Poor sleep is almost universally found in addiction treatment. Unless good-quality sleep is restored, the patient is almost certainly doomed to fail in recovery. Sleep hygiene & therapy are necessary components of treatment and are used at the appropriate time in treatment.

• environmental - It is important to examine how the environment effects you through your senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing). By identifying these stressors, it is possible to separate the good from the bad stress and learn ways to control how the environment affects you and be able to make the environment improve your health.

• life skills - knowledge is power. Psycho-educational components of treatment are important. Stress management, parenting, communication, financial planning, and relaxation techniques among other life skills can have a huge impact on well-being and treatment outcome.