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This past week, through a stroke of luck I was privileged to participate in a program at the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach. In the belief that it may be helpful to some readers, I would like to share relevant aspects of the program.

The Hanley Center was, until three years ago, connected with the well-known Hazelden Foundation for alcohol and drug abuse. Three years ago Hanley decided to add a program for older adults, in which Hazelden was not interested so the union dissolved. That program is thriving as are all the others that comprise Hanley.

Although substance abuse is not my area of expertise, it inevitably and fairly frequently presents as a problem in my practice. Southwest Florida is sorely lacking in sufficient resources for anyone experiencing difficulties with drug and/or alcohol abuse.

Chemical dependence (CD), the term that best covers all addictions, is an illness. In recent years studies have proved that persons with CD have brains that are different from those who do not have CD. The pleasure and appetite centers of the brain respond very differently in individuals with CD. Genetics play an important role in determining who develops CD; it runs in families. If one has the misfortune to inherit certain genes from both parents a strong likelihood of developing CD exists.

There is however a great deal of hope. Prevention is of course the ideal route. With education many people could be spared the tragedy of CD. It’s impossible to become addicted if substances are not used in the first place. Knowing one’s family history and heeding the unwritten warnings in the genetic tree is the best route to take. No drugs or alcohol; no addiction.

The same principle applies to treatment. The only treatment is total abstinence, because the brain determines, after even a small dose of forbidden fruit, that it must have more, no matter how many years of sobriety have been achieved.

To begin the process of recovery from CD, one must be prepared to face a challenge. It’s the challenge of giving up use of substances that because of genetic defects in the brain make one feel very good. This is the disease of addiction. No one can achieve sobriety alone and unaided.

The first step is to admit powerlessness over the disease of addiction. Alcoholics Anonymous is the most effective and successful tool available when one is ready to reach for sobriety. Often CD is so advanced it is impossible to stop using substances without professional assistance. To abruptly withdraw is not only extremely uncomfortable but physically dangerous, sometimes fatal. A facility with expertise in the disease of CD is the safest and best way to begin treatment. A good facility will provide care to the whole person; it will provide medical, psychological, spiritual, recreational, educational and prevention needs.

At the Hanley Center every aspect of treatment incorporates the principles of AA. Staff are both passionate and compassionate about their work. Loving kindness and an attitude free of judgment are essential for assisting persons with CD to achieve recovery. Cure is not in the vocabulary of CD because only abstinence is effective. Much like diabetes or other chronic diseases a real cure is not possible; the illness can only be controlled.

Treatment is multifaceted and holistic, addressing every need. All 12 steps of AA are worked consistently. Outpatient follow-up programs aim to prevent relapses.

Alcoholism and drug abuse are rampant in our society but as we learn more about addiction and its causes we can hope for greater numbers of persons in successful recovery.

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Elinor Stanton is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner on Marco Island. She has 30 years of experience as a therapist, in private practice and with a large health maintenance organization in Boston. She graduated from Boston College and University of Rochester, and is certified as a clinical specialist by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Elinor is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is a certified Imago Relationship Therapist. She welcomes requests for professional assistance with a variety of troubling issues, including mood disorders, trauma, anxiety, panic and phobias as well as marital problems. Comments and questions are welcome and may be submitted by e-mail to: etseven@aol.com or telephone 394-2861.