Addiction: Why Not Getting Help Is More Taboo

Don’t be surprised to find that your addiction therapist was once a person struggling with addiction. Many become therapists themselves to help others to recover. ANDY LEACH, principal therapist at Visions, has been there

- ANNA MURPHY

An addiction is an insidious destroyer of lives, not just of the victims but those of significant others, family and friends, and livelihoods. What starts as a “social” foray for stress release, whether it’s drugs, alcohol or sex, soon turns into the taboo – something you know is wrong and having a bad effect on your life, but is now out of your control.

A person struggling with addiction is driven by the reward-seeking part of the brain where sense no longer makes sense and he or she is now in pleasure-seeking autopilot mode.

Andy Leach was once in a similar state, decades ago in a previous life – a fact he is not ashamed to share with those he meets and treats, to show them that anyone can change their life. He leads the Intensive Outpatient Programme at Visions by Promises Healthcare.

What happens when someone is addicted

“In addiction, brain activity is primarily in the mid-brain, where you are survival-oriented,” says Andy. “The pre-frontal cortex that is used for reasoning and logic stops functioning optimally and switches to reward-seeking mode, where you are pleasure-seeking, and no longer thinking of consequences.”

He adds that, despite this, getting off drugs or alcohol can be quite straightforward. “We detox the client, teach them tips to stay clean and sober, and work on all areas of their lives to help them get back on track.”