nemia de guzman-turla is the host of doctors online, a medical talk show of christian radio station 702 DZAS (AM band). today's interview focused on the management of addiction.
addiction is characterized by the 4 p's:
(1) preoccupation with the substance,
(2) progression (or escalation) of its use,
(3) persistence in using substance despite negative consequences,
(4) poor control at stopping its use.
mainstay components of treatment include:
(1) detoxification
(2) rehabilitation
(3) counseling (individual, couples, family)
(4) lifestyle revision
(5) monitoring/ accountability system.
in my 15 years of managing an addiction recovery center, i've witnessed thousands of individuals overcome their addiction. change is possible for most addicted individuals, and what Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous claims- that "once and addict, always an addict," simply is NOT true!
