Meeting with our Board-Certified Addiction Medicine Physician

Many people feel overwhelmed when trying to decide if, when, how, and where to seek help for their addiction.  This can often be complicated by strained relationships, physical and mental health deterioration, and even legal issues, which make it even more difficult to focus and come up with an effective plan.

Our team can help to simplify this process for you, and to work closely with you from the beginning to develop a personalized recovery strategy.  In order for us to devise the optimal strategy for your success, we first seek to understand. To get started, our board-certified Addiction Medicine Physician, along with our Recovery and Wellness Coach, will meet with you and your loved ones for a 90-minute assessment.  We believe that your path to recovery will be as unique as the course of events that brought you to this point.  Thus, it is important for us to fully understand not only your substance use, but also any physical or mental health conditions, family and social support, and perhaps most importantly, your personal goals and priorities.

With this information, we can then advise you regarding your best options for success.  While detox may be the appropriate first step, the timing, location, and approach to care may differ for each person, and we can recommend options that would best suit your needs.  We can then help direct you in your recovery and transitional care.  For certain individuals, treatment in a residential setting may be the most appropriate option.  However, we know that, for a variety of reasons, this may not be practical or desirable for some people.  Thus, we can also help create a customized transitional care strategy specifically designed around your lifestyle and personal preferences.

Our services are designed to meet you where you are.  Whether you are in an information-gathering or contemplation phase, we respect your autonomy and recognize that willingness to change is a process.  Our initial consultation is designed to be informative and educational, and with knowledge comes power.

We also understand that family members of those suffering from addiction often feel left out, and that their suffering does not get addressed or validated.  We strongly value a collaborative care approach, with the patient at the center, and in which the well-being of family and loved ones is integral to the success of any recovery strategy.  As such, we aim to engage all involved at every step along the way, and we extend our coaching, counseling, and wellness services to any others who may benefit.

A Scientific View of Addiction

Addiction is a complex condition, with genetic, biochemical, and environmental contributing factors.  Thus, many individuals and their loved ones often feel that the solution may be insurmountable.  Professional assessment to better define each of these components helps to gain perspective and provide hope that this condition can be successfully managed.

Scientific evidence has demonstrated that patients with substance use disorders have a biochemical alteration in the brain that results in the inability to self-regulate the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs.  This brain dysregulation causes intense cravings for the pleasurable effects of alcohol/ drugs, but lacks an “off-switch” to stop consuming when pleasure turns to pain and devastation.

Over time, the intense desire to drink or use drugs can take priority over everything else, including relationships, work, and even proper nutrition and other basic health needs.  The consequences that ensue are very damaging, and without the ability to stop drinking/ using, may seem impossible to reverse.

Fortunately, science has also shown us that with sustained abstinence, the biochemical alterations in the addicted brain can normalize over time, and healthier pleasurable activities naturally replace the unhealthy substance use.

Specialty-trained Addiction Medicine physicians understand the neuroscience underlying addictive disorders.  We can prescribe medications to help alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal, and we may offer medications which can decrease cravings and block the effects of alcohol/ drugs following successful detox.

Viewing addiction as a chronic medical condition, much like that of diabetes or high blood pressure, allows us to minimize the stigma and shame that often accompanies this illness.  Instead, we treat those suffering from addictive disorders with warmth, empathy, and compassion, and provide hope for a sustained recovery.

Our Medical Director, Dr. Karen Flannery, is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hospital Medicine as well as in Addiction Medicine.  With nearly two decades of experience in treating both acute illness and exacerbations of chronic conditions in a hospital setting, she is able to rapidly assess the appropriate level of care needed, and is adept at managing even the most medically complex cases.  Dr. Flannery also enjoys caring for older adults who may have multiple medical comorbidities and who may be experiencing rapid functional decline as a result of their substance use disorder.  Another high-risk group that can benefit from Addiction Medicine consultation are those with a prior history of addiction who have achieved sustained recovery, but who now need to undergo surgery or even major dental work that may necessitate the use of opioid pain medications.  Perioperative management by a skilled Addiction Medicine specialist can minimize the risk of reverting to a dependence on such controlled substances.

Dr. Flannery also has years of experience in helping those who have developed a physical dependence on prescription medications for chronic pain, anxiety, or sleep, and who have the desire to come off of these medications.  These individuals may not otherwise demonstrate addictive behaviors, and thus they may not feel that traditional detox and recovery services are appropriate for them.  Nonetheless, medically supervised withdrawal may be optimal to ensure their safety and comfort throughout this process, and various complementary or integrative services can be offered as an effective alternative to manage the underlying conditions and mitigate the need to return to such habit-forming medications.