What We Treat

Drug addiction is a complex, chronic, and progressive disease. It is important to note that addiction is not a matter of poor morals or weak willpower. Current research points to both genetic and environmental elements as key factors in the development of a substance use disorder. And while the initial choice to use is voluntary, drugs have the power to quickly and radically alter brain chemistry, leaving those afflicted feeling powerless, hopeless, and lost.

Dream Recovery knows that drug addiction is a multi-faceted problem requiring a multi-faceted solution. For example, education, nutrition, and exercise are all avenues we explore with our clients, teaching them how to live clean and sober while individual therapy sessions address the history and traumas that led to drug abuse. Our clients graduate from our program healthy, balanced, and ready to live out their dreams.

Alcohol ruins lives, tears apart families, and costs the country billions of dollars. And despite its prevalence, only about 7% of those who suffer from alcohol use disorder received treatment in the last year. To make matters worse, many family doctors and psychiatrists merely throw antidepressants or other medications at the problem and tell the afflicted to start going to 12-step meetings. This type of treatment ignores the complex nature of the disease.

There is no cure for alcoholism. However, it can be managed through fully integrated treatment that addresses both the alcohol use disorder and the other underlying mental health issues. Dream Recovery focuses on personal, emotional, and career development in addition to education and relapse prevention skills in order to put our clients in the best possible position for a sustainable and contented recovery.

A dual diagnosis is a pair of co-occurring mental health conditions including a substance abuse problem and another type of mental illness. For example, a heroin addict may suffer from post-traumatic stress or a person who struggles with severe anxiety may misuse alcohol in an effort to self-medicate. While this approach yields some relief in the short-term, it quickly begins to exacerbate the mental health condition while creating a chemical dependency. The two conditions feed off of each other, creating a rapidly worsening downward spiral. As a result, a dual diagnosis can be very difficult to treat.

To compound the problem, while advances have been made in the field of behavioral health, the American healthcare system still insists on a treatment model that addresses the conditions either separately or sequentially. In fact, many local treatment centers limit their approach to substance abuse only, leaving the underlying mental illness untreated and perpetuating the cycle of treatment episode and relapse that has become all too common.

Dream Recovery recognizes that the problems of a dual diagnosis require more than a quick fix. While we show our clients how to recognize triggers and teach them the coping skills to deal with them, our therapists also work to get to the root of the issue. Dream Recovery believes in attacking the problem from all angles and treating our clients holistically. Our clinical team devises an individualized treatment program for each client, maximizing their chances for success and a lasting recovery.