Addiction is a compulsion to use a harmful substance(s) or participate in self-injurious behaviors despite the knowledge that the substance or behavior can cause harm to themselves or others. We treat addiction through the lens of the deeper process issues underlying the addictive behaviors, such as trauma, depression, and anxiety. The research is clear that addictive behaviors are often symptomatic of deeper issues, especially trauma, and addressing the deeper process issues increases the likelihood of successful addiction recovery.
Addictive behaviors are our attempts to change how we feel, to cover the feelings up, and to disconnect from our pain. If, however, the consequences of the deeper process issues can be addressed, the addictive behaviors no longer feel imperative or compulsive.
Our treatment approach is a faith-based narrative approach, where we seek the truth which allows us to rewrite our story. The trauma or pain from our past will always be a part of our history, but it does not define our identity. Once we identify the truth of our identity, we can choose how our story progresses from this point forward. We work with our clients to learn to choose their story instead of living the story that was forced upon them by either context or circumstance. We help our clients to stop seeing themselves as victims and to retake authority over their lives and their choices.
