Recovery from Substance Use Disorder is Possible You are not alone

Sept. 27, 2023

September is National Recovery Month, an observance that promotes the latest treatments for substance use disorders, recognizes the strong and proud recovery community, and celebrates the healthcare clinicians and community members who make recovery from addiction possible.

People from all walks of life can find themselves struggling with substance use. Denise Torres, M.D., MPH, an addiction medicine physician with Lee Physician Group, explains that substance use disorder is a treatable mental disorder that affects an individual’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol or the misuse of prescription medicines. Dr. Torres says that symptoms can be moderate to severe, and addiction is the most severe form of substance use disorder.

“There may be many reasons that an individual begins using alcohol or other substances, but struggling with mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety, can make substances that alter our state of mind more appealing,” Dr. Torres says. “Many people who have trouble managing their emotions or treating them in other ways may turn to substance abuse as a way of self-medicating. It is also common for people to not realize they have other mental health disorders, making it harder to receive proper treatment and recognize they are depending on substances to manage their illnesses.”

If you have a craving or a strong urge to use the substance, if you want or have failed to cut down or quit using the substance, or if your use of the substance impacts your life (failure to complete major tasks or responsibilities at work, school or home, or if you gave up leisure activities), then you should seek treatment.

“Lee Physician Group Recovery Medicine is an outpatient clinic that can be a valuable resource for those who are unsure they even have a problem, those still thinking about making changes, those taking the first steps toward treatment, or those enrolling to fully pursue their recovery and overall wellness,” Dr. Torres says. “Our multidisciplinary team of addiction medicine physicians, clinical psychiatrists, psychologists and master’s level social workers are trained to work with adults to provide an individualized recovery plan. We understand substance use and mental health issues are closely connected, so we assess and treat all diagnoses.”

Dr. Torres explains that scientific advances have helped shape our understanding of the neurobiology and chronic disease model of addiction. “We strive to educate patients to enable them to understand the implications of addiction from a neurobiological standpoint, which can be compelling to some patients who have a lot of self-blame and guilt about their addiction,” Dr. Torres says. “If they can understand what is causing some of these compulsive decisions they are making, they may be better able to contextualize their illness and substance use disorder.”

The bottom line is that substance use disorder and addiction are more common than you may realize, and if you are experiencing it, you are not alone. Nonjudgmental, compassionate care and support based on the latest research is available for you, and recovery is possible.

“We believe in treating the patient mind, body and spirit,” Dr. Torres says. “We always strive to meet patients where they are, we offer individualized treatment because we know there is no one path to recovery and we do so in a non-stigmatizing clinic environment.”