Healing

Dr. Marvin D. Seppala, Medical Director, CEO
Beyond Addictions

I recently gave a lecture to our outpatient program clients on the neurobiology of addiction. It was interesting, thought provoking and helped to explain, in scientific terms, why we do the crazy things we do during active addiction. Later that night several clients were graduating so I attended the celebration.

I heard people describe their struggle with addiction, their apprehension about treatment and their gratitude about staying sober. I heard them thank their peers and our staff, and they described the dramatic and wonderful changes taking place in their lives. I also heard family members describe their own journey into recovery, as well as the tempered excitement of having their loved ones abstinent and involved in their lives once again. They all spoke of the pain of addiction, the losses, as well as renewal and hope. They were beginning to experience the benefits of abstinence and were engaging in early recovery.

People expressed the raw emotions of addiction; both the tragedies of the disease and the gifts found in early recovery. Several new clients were there, still in the fog of detox, but buoyed up by the hope of change expressed by their predecessors.

As I took all this in I was struck by the juxtaposition exposed that evening. Neurobiology is essential to our fundamental understanding of this disease, and will lead to new medications and treatments that could make abstinence easier to attain. However, this is both a disease of the brain and a disease of the soul. Not one of the participants spoke of their neurotransmitters, or described the benefits of the brain sciences to their recovery. They spoke of the caring and love they have for each other, essential when one can no longer provide this for oneself. They exalted in hope and in the potential for change found in recovery from addiction. They expressed the joy of openly sharing themselves with other human beings. Their deep gratitude was exposed and readily expressed to one another. They were actively engaged in the process of emotional and psychological healing, perhaps even spiritual healing. Their strength was found in each other, and revealed to me once again how real healing takes place.