Addiction Treatment

If you depend on alcohol or drugs to get you through the day and you can’t fight the persistent cravings, addiction treatment gives you the support you need to break the habit. At Mayo Counseling Center, LLC, Debra Black-Mayo, MS, LPC, CCTP, CDBT, provides individualized therapy, helping you learn the skills you need to recover and prevent a relapse. If you need help for an addiction, don’t wait to schedule an in-person or telehealth appointment. Call the office in Chandler, Arizona, or use the online booking feature today.

Why do I need addiction treatment?

Addictive substances activate your brain, resulting in the release of potent chemicals. These chemicals lift your mood, relieve physical pain, and give you feelings of euphoria. But they also physically change your brain. As a result, your brain needs a steady supply of the substance. That’s when cravings develop.

Before long, your brain needs more to achieve the same effect, so you increase the amount you use to stop the cravings. If you try to cut back, withdrawal symptoms begin.

Withdrawal symptoms are minor at first, but increase in intensity and severity. Depending on the substance, withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous. You can prevent these problems with outpatient addiction treatment at Mayo Counseling Center, LLC.

What are the early signs I need addiction treatment?

It’s not always easy to recognize when using drugs or alcohol turns into an addiction. But there are signs to tip you off, including:

• Needing time to recover after using the substance
• Often feeling irritable, angry, or emotionally volatile
• Failing to meet your responsibilities
• Giving up social or family activities
• Using the substance even if you feel sick

Cravings, needing to use more, and withdrawal symptoms are signs of an addiction.

What should I expect during addiction treatment?

You can safely detox at home with an approach called medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT combines medications and therapy. The medications support your outpatient detox and recovery by stopping cravings, preventing withdrawal symptoms, and normalizing your brain chemicals.

Debra specializes in providing the therapy you need to rebuild your personal life and prevent a relapse. Therapy can help with many goals, including:

Identifying and coping with triggers

You identify the behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and habits that make you want drugs and learn ways to deal with those triggers so you don’t relapse.

Improving life skills

During recovery, most people need to work on life skills. For example, you may need to improve communication, build self-esteem, learn to trust others, and get tips for returning to social and family roles.

Dealing with past trauma

Many people with addictions have experienced trauma, especially childhood trauma, that affected their mental health and partly or completely contributed to their substance use. As a trauma-focused specialist, Debra guides you through past traumas, giving you the ability to recognize and release their impact on your life.

If you need addiction treatment, call Mayo Counseling Center, LLC, or book an appointment online today.