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The generosity of the staff and peacefulness of the surroundings has given me a serenity and safety I had never experienced before." - Don
News and Events
Click here to read "Addressing the Complexities of Chronic Pain," by Dr. James Gagne, an internist at The Canyon. The article was published in Marin Medicine Magazine. (This link is provided solely for educational purposes.)
Recent Articles
- Teen Hitman Is Drug Trade’s Latest Casualty
- Grey’s Anatomy Actor Eric Dane Seeks Drug Treatment
- Cocaine’s Colorful History
- Amy Winehouse Found Dead
- U.S. Military Cracks Down On Drug Abuse
- New Report: Cocaine Supply Cut With Flesh-eating Drug
- Does The Social Network Glamorize Drug Use?
- Welfare Drug Testing Debate
- Relapse Lies
- Drug War Woes
Addict Self vs. Healthy Self
For those trying to get clean, it can often feel like a battle between two very different personalities.
The disease of addiction changes people. Often it can seem like a person with a drug abuse issue has a split personality. No, they’re not schizophrenic, but there is a duality of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that plague someone in the midst of substance abuse.
Ironically, this battle between these two selves – often referred to as the “healthy self” and the “addict self” -- can become the most pronounced during the treatment or recovery process. Why is this? Once an individual is no longer dealing with the physical aspects of addiction and reacting to the chemicals impact on the body, the residual addict feelings and emotions are easier to see. These two sides of a recovering addict fight against each other and are a threat to long-term sobriety.
The Struggle Between the Selfs
So what does this struggle look like? While hard to combat, it’s easy to see. For example, while the healthy self might say, “I can have healthy, sober fun” or “I can’t control my alcohol use,” the addict self insists, “I can’t have any fun unless I’m high” or “I can control my alcohol intake and just drink a little.” So while the actual substance use has stopped, the thinking that allowed the substance use to continue in the first place is still there.
To achieve long-term sobriety, it’s important to not just stop the physical act of getting high but to deal with the negative and erroneous thoughts that made it possible. An addict can’t be expected to recognize his or her own unhealthy thought processes. That’s why counseling is an important part of the treatment process. Treating the entire individual and not just the addiction definitely improves the rate of long-term sobriety.
Drug Treatment at The Canyon
If you or someone you love is in need of drug treatment, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.
If The Canyon isn't right for you, we'll find the place that is.
Articles on Drug Treatment
- Evidence Based Approach
- HIV and AIDS Patients in Need of Help
- Outpatient Versus Inpatient Treatment
- Pregnancy and Drug Addiction Treatment
- Drug Treatment Centers
- When a Family Member Needs a Program
- Why Recovery Can Be More Effective With Intervention
- Information about Drug Treatments
- Gays and Lesbians Needing Help
- Relapse Prevention During Treatment
- Drug Treatment in California
- Drug Recovery and Interventions
- Treatment Options for College Students
- Did You Get a DUI and Need a Program?
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- Effective California Drug Treatment Centers
- Comprehensive Drug and Alcohol Treatment
- Drug Treatment for Women
- Los Angeles Drug Treatment Centers
- Recovery and Methadone
- Residential Drug Treatment Programs: The Pros and Cons
- Treatment for the Elderly: Having the Conversation
- Drug Treatment Costs
- How To Get Into Drug and Alcohol Treatment
- Choose the Right Treatment Center for You
- Drug Treatment and Suboxone
- Entering a Program: What to Expect
- Anti-addiction Pill?
- The Ibogaine Controversy
- Medication's Role in Drug and Alcohol Treatment
- From Dysfunction to Insight
- The Pros Know Best
- Allies in Recovery
- Plastic Surgery Addiction?
- Inside the New DSM-5
- Healthcare Parity Update
- Help for Jesse James, but for What?
- Addiction Still a Unique Disease
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- Multi-generational Addiction
- Eminem Comes Clean On Getting Clean
- Rehab vs. Jail for Lindsay Lohan
- Graying Addicts
- The Problem of Co-addiction
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- Another Drug Kingpin Taken Down
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- The Future of Drug Abuse
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- Recovery Month Events
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- Avoiding Relapse Triggers
- The Lohan Saga Continues
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- Celebrity Rehab 4
- Ohhhhhm Your Way to Recovery?
- New Year, New Lindsay?
- Drugs & Desperation
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- International Addiction
- Addiction & The Brain
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- Eating Disorders In Teens
- Faking Addiction?
- The New “Proactive Treatment” for Addiction
- Roadblocks to Recovery
- Addressing a Parent’s Addiction With Kids
- Sobriety vs. Faulty Thinking
- Post-rehab Survival
- Lindsay Lohan’s DUI Arrest Continues to Plague Her
- Substance Abuse Treatment Tune-ups
- Substance Abuse Treatment Tune-ups
- Jeff Conaway Succumbs to Addiction
- Drug War Woes
- Relapse Lies
- Welfare Drug Testing Debate
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