Understanding Addiction
Addiction — clinically called Substance Use Disorder (SUD) — is a chronic brain condition characterized by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. It involves changes in brain circuits related to reward, stress, and self-control that can persist long after substance use stops.
Modern addiction science recognizes that SUD develops from a combination of genetic vulnerability, environmental factors, trauma history, and neurobiological changes. This understanding has shifted treatment from punitive models to compassionate, evidence-based approaches that address the whole person.
What is Addiction? - Brain Disease Model
Effective Therapeutic Approaches
- Motivational Interviewing (MI) — A collaborative approach that helps clients explore and resolve ambivalence about change.
- CBT for Addiction — Identifies triggers and develops coping strategies to prevent relapse.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) — Teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills.
- Trauma-Informed Care — Addresses the trauma that often underlies addiction (up to 75% of people in addiction treatment have trauma histories).
- 12-Step Facilitation — Structured engagement with recovery community support.
- Harm Reduction — Meets people where they are, reducing negative consequences without requiring abstinence as a prerequisite for treatment.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) — Combines behavioral therapy with medications to treat opioid, alcohol, and tobacco use disorders.
Addiction Therapy Specialists
Verified Oregon therapists
Kate Mordarski
★ FEATURED PROLPC · 916 SW King Avenue Suite 202
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor with 17 years experience providing outpatient, residential,…
Eric Richers
PROLicensed Professional Counselor (LPC), CADC III · Eugene, OR 97403
Do relationships feel more challenging than they should? Do you feel stuck, isolated, and…
Alex Rivera
PROLPC, CADC III · Portland, OR
Alex Rivera is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (Level…
Brandon Huffman
PROMA, LPC, NCC, CADC II · Eugene, OR 97404
Currently accepting new clients for NeuroFeedback only! Trauma isn't measured by what happened…
Brennon Moore
PROCTT, CADC-II, LPC, MS · Bend, OR
Brennon Moore is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Co-founder of Broken Top Counseling.…
Co-Occurring Conditions
Approximately 50% of people with substance use disorders also have a co-occurring mental health condition. The most common include:
- Depression and anxiety disorders
- PTSD and complex trauma
- ADHD
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
Effective addiction treatment must address both the substance use and any underlying mental health conditions simultaneously — a model called "integrated dual-diagnosis treatment."
Sources & Clinical Evidence
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Treatment and Recovery. Authoritative research on the efficacy of behavioral therapies and MAT.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Guidelines on Co-Occurring Disorders.