Addiction is the compulsive need to use a substance or participate in a behavior despite the negative consequences.
But despite the clinical definition, at Tal, we understand that you are more than your symptoms, and we will strive to help you see just how important you are and achieve your full potential.
You may have tried to quit before without success.You may have blamed yourself, thinking it was due to your lack of willpower.
But the inability to just “stop using” does not arise from a lack of will but from the damage that addiction has caused to your entire system.
The fact is that drugs and alcohol flood your system with dopamine (a feel-good hormone) and reinforce the need to keep using to repeat the pleasurable experience.
Although anyone can develop a substance use disorder, some factors can increase the likelihood of battling the condition. Early exposure to drugs or alcohol is one of these factors, as is genetics. In fact, people with a close relative with a substance use disorder are 60% more likely to experience it themselves.²
Your home environment can also play a role in developing a substance use disorder. People who have experienced violence or abuse or live with chronic stress are twice as likely to develop an addiction than those who have not.³
The most common signs of a substance use disorder are:
Addiction changes the brain. Drugs and alcohol affect neurotransmitters, activating them in abnormal ways and making it more difficult for your brain to function normally without the substance.
Drugs and alcohol flood your system with dopamine, a feel-good hormone, and reinforce the need to keep using to repeat the pleasurable experience. Substance use also impacts your prefrontal cortex, which regulates your emotions, actions, and thoughts, making it more difficult to recover.
Not everyone can afford to pay for inpatient programs or take time off from their responsibilities to spend 30 to 60 days at a facility. Outpatient programs offer the high level of care that residential treatment provides while letting you return home every night. They are best suited for people who:
At Tal Behavioral Health, we honor our namesake: the Hebrew word “tal,” which means the morning dew. We believe that just as the dew makes everything fresh, sparkling, and new, you have an opportunity every morning to decide whether you will begin anew.
If you’re battling a substance use disorder, getting treatment can help you achieve sustainable sobriety. Get quality addiction treatment in Beachwood, OH, by contacting Tal Behavioral Health.