Addiction Treatment

What is addiction?

Addiction is a disease in which you grow dependent on a drug and continue to use it despite increasingly negative consequences. Addiction makes you continuously seek the substance, spending too much time and money on acquiring the drug, even when your behaviors negatively impact your relationships and responsibilities.

What causes addiction?

Addiction changes the chemistry and structure of your brain, especially in the region that controls decision making and impulse control. Continued use of a substance changes your brain, making your cravings stronger and creating a dependency on a substance to feel “normal.” Opioids are particularly addictive substances.

The opioid addiction crisis stems from prescription painkillers that weren’t managed correctly or were combined with other therapies to resolve the condition causing the pain. While this statement oversimplifies a national crisis, it’s critical to remember that anyone who uses a prescription opioid is at risk of developing an addiction.

What should I expect from addiction treatment?

At the Washington Pain Center, Dr. Dombrowski offers highly customized addiction treatment. You begin with an initial consultation where you talk about your lifestyle, overall health, and addiction with Dr. Dombrowski.

Dr. Dombrowski often combines addiction medicine with mental health and physical therapy. Medications for addiction such as Suboxone® and naltrexone help to control your cravings and reduce your withdrawal symptoms, which allows you to focus your energy on addressing the issues and conditions that led to your opioid use in the first place.

Dr. Dombrowski offers implant therapy to help with continued sobriety. He inserts a device into your arm that slowly releases opioid blockers to control your addiction symptoms. The implant ensures you receive the correct dose every day and supports successful recovery.

Am I a candidate for addiction treatment?

If you’re struggling with addiction, regardless of whether it stems from a pain issue, Dr. Dombrowski wants to help you find a way out so you can recover from your addiction. You need to be ready to fight your addiction. Dr. Dombrowski can provide the tools to help you on your journey to sobriety, but you need to be prepared to make the change.

Addiction treatment is rarely a straight road. However, if you suffer from any relapses or struggles, Dr. Dombrowski and the team at Washington Pain Center are on hand to help you get back on track.

If addiction is disrupting your life and you’re ready to make a change, call the Washington Pain Center or make an appointment online today.