rebecca stanwyck
WELCOME COUNSELING CONSULTING ARTICLES ABOUT ME LOCATION & FEES  


Phone 510.881.2540



Castro Valley office
and mailing address:

21700 Redwood Rd, #B
Castro Valley, CA 94546

Pleasanton office:
5820 Stoneridge Mall Rd, #219
Pleasanton, CA 94588

CA License #LCS12569

 



Articles - Alcohol, Drug & Other Addictions

I've been educating people about substance abuse and addiction since the early 1980s. Back then, treatment was a one-size-fits-all, 30-day stay in the hospital, which worked well for some, but definitely not for all.

Alcohol and drug abusers, and the people who care about them, often end up feeling frustrated and confused about how to deal with this "disease", which mostly looks like bad behavior.

Thanks to scientific research, using new technology like brain scans, today I can tell you that:

  • alcoholism, and all drug addictions, are diseases of brain chemistry imbalance, involving a defect or deficiency in the "reward center", which is located in the mid-brain, where our basic instincts related to survival are housed

  • we can also think of addiction as a disease of automaticity because it involves automatic habits of thought and behavior that function below the level of conscious awareness

  • there is evidence of a genetic pre-disposition to alcoholism or addiction in many cases, but it can also be triggered by severe stress or trauma, or simply the inevitable result of long-term heavy drinking or drug use

Though there still is no "magic pill" or medical procedure to cure addiction, we now have a range of treatment strategies available, and can do a far better job of tailoring treatment to an individual's needs, with a much greater probability of long-term sobriety. 

If you are considering getting help for a drinking or drug problem, or simply want to learn more about substance abuse, addiction or codependency, please check out the articles and links below, or contact me!


Staying Sober the Mindful Way

Change Your Drinking Habits

Prescription Drug Abuse

Marijuana Addiction

Am I Addicted?

Alcohol: Know the Facts

Are you a Co-dependent Person?



 

 



Some of my favorite links on substance abuse, addiction and codependency

The National Institutes of Health has a new website, "Rethinking Drinking", where you can take a quiz on your drinking habits, get tips for cutting down, and find out about ways to quit: http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/

To find a treatment program in your area, call 1-800-662-HELP or go to http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Besides AA and Al-Anon, there are self-help groups for nearly every issue, including:
© 2005 – 2011, Rebecca A. Stanwyck, LCSW. All rights reserved