Philosophy
Research and our experience shows that addiction is a brain disease. It is a primary disease in that it is not caused by character flaws, psychological problems, family problems, or other psychiatric conditions. Such issues may influence the path of the disease and complicate recovery, but they are not the primary cause. Because such issues are a part of the person who needs to recover, we do treat such problems.
It is a progressive disease. Without treatment it usually gets worse, leading to physical problems, legal problems, financial problems, educational and other performance problems.
It is a family disease, not in the sense that the family causes the disease, but in the sense that family dynamics become disordered as the family tries to deal with the disease and the negative consequences. Therefore treating the family is an essential part of addiction treatment.
The best treatment in our 45 years of combined clinical experience is the Twelve Step Program. Our staff lives by and participates in the Twelve Step Program.
Addiction cannot be cured, but it can be managed with humility and patience. There may be relapses. More than one treatment episode may be needed, but we have helped thousands of young people recover and go on to live productive, fulfilled, happy lives. We know there is hope and there is a solution.