Allie Sanford is the adolescent program director at The Berman Center where she works with adolescents, adults and their families.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAccording to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans battled a substance use disorder in the past year. But many people have addictions that aren\u2019t drugs or alcohol; they can span a multitude of behaviors, such as social media use, exercise, gambling, smoking and more.<\/p>\n
Addiction looks different for every person, and for this reason, the medical community chooses not to define it. As the adolescent program director at The Berman Center, an intensive outpatient program in Sandy Springs that treats mental health and substance abuse disorders, Allie Sanford has a clear definition. She says addiction is using a substance to cope with something, whether that is trauma, boredom or loneliness. \u201cIt is leaning on that substance in a way that is unhealthy because it creates issues in other areas of your life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
HOW IT STARTS<\/strong><\/p>\nAccording to Sanford, addiction almost always starts out as simply having fun, whether that\u2019s drinking with friends, scrolling on TikTok or playing video games. However, at some point, the brain starts to associate the enjoyable activity with relief from a negative emotion, such as stress. The brain then creates an association between the behavior and feeling better.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen it becomes \u2018I only feel good when I do that thing,\u2019 and that’s when we end up with addiction,\u201d Sanford says.<\/p>\n
THE SCIENCE BEHIND ADDICTION<\/strong><\/p>\nTwo chemicals, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), play a vital role in addiction. Dopamine creates an anticipatory thrill associated with initial use. GABA is a euphoric relaxation and plays an important role in drug reward and the development of addiction.<\/p>\n
When someone engages in addictive behaviors, they artificially inflate the dopamine and GABA in the brain.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour brain then stops producing those things on its own without the behavior to go along with it,\u201d Sanford says. \u201cThat means nothing else you do is as enjoyable as it used to be because you don’t have enough dopamine and GABA in your brain to create that sense of enjoyment.\u201d<\/p>\n
WARNING SIGNS<\/strong><\/p>\nOne of the biggest tells that someone is veering into problematic behavior is if the addiction starts negatively impacting their life, such as causing a job loss or driving a wedge in relationships. Other warning signs include an increase in impulsivity or using addictive behaviors as a coping mechanism.<\/p>\n
CHANGING COURSE<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen struggling with addictive behaviors, it may seem impossible to return to a life without them. Sanford says the key to fighting addiction is to detox from the addictive behaviors and replace them with something else.<\/p>\n
A detox, such as a 30-day break from social media, allows the brain to reset and produce GABA and dopamine in a more natural way. That replacement can help people cope in a healthy way without having that behavior in their lives. Embracing healthy replacement behaviors that bring joy, such as exercise, a group cooking class, reading or crafts, can help with the isolation and frustration that are often experienced during the withdrawal process.<\/p>\n
SEEKING HELP<\/strong><\/p>\nFor someone seeking help, finding a therapist and leaning on a close inner circle can provide necessary support to overcome addiction.<\/p>\n
No matter what, don\u2019t expect a quick fix. \u201cI talk to clients about embracing [that the process is going to suck],\u201d Sanford says. \u201cRemind yourself that it will be different soon. You just have to wait it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE BERMAN CENTER<\/strong>
\n770.336.7444
\nbermancenteratl.com<\/a>
\n@thebermancenter<\/p>\nSTORY: Katie Hughes
\nPHOTO: Joann Vitelli<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Social worker from The Berman Center sheds light on how to change the course of addiction. According to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans battled a substance use disorder in the past year. But many people have addictions that aren\u2019t drugs or alcohol; they can span…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":31716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[17,32654,32425],"tags":[32703,32700,32697,32695,20581,32064,32699,32698,32696,32701,32702],"thb-sponsors":[],"yoast_head":"\n
OVERCOMING ADDICTION – Simply Buckhead<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n