Break the ‘revolving’ cycle of addiction; find solutions at Shadow Mountain Detox

Stock image, St. George News

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — “Hopeless. Helpless. Paralyzed. Rock bottom. A disappointment. Failure.” Sound familiar? These are a few of the words used by those affected to describe one of the most common, yet treatable diseases: a substance use disorder, more commonly known as addiction.  

Shadow Mountain Detox Hospital, Oct. 2, 2019, St. George, Utah | Photo by Andrew Pinckney, St. George News

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website, people from all backgrounds experience addiction. Addiction doesn’t care how old you are, how much money you make or the color of your skin; it has no bias. 

While the initial choice to use a drug is often voluntary, the powerful effects of addiction makes it very hard to stop, even if someone wants to.

Addiction is a chronic and treatable disease. Using drugs repeatedly changes the brain, including the parts that help exert self-control, and that is why someone may not be able to stop using drugs even if they know the drug is causing harm or they feel ready to stop. Treatment helps people disrupt addiction’s powerful effects on the brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.

Shadow Mountain Detox Hospital has been serving the Southern Utah and surrounding areas for over five years and is a premier provider of substance abuse recovery services in the western United States. It is the only Joint Commission accredited inpatient specialty medical detox facility between Las Vegas, Nevada, and northern Utah.  

“Over the past five years we have seen the dramatic impact substance abuse has had on our community,” said Justin Brinkerhoff, attending physician for Shadow Mountain Detox. “The biggest impact we have experienced, despite our best efforts with community partners, has been the ‘revolving’ nature of this epidemic.”

It has only been a few years since the Center for Medicare Services defined substance abuse and dependence as “a disease,” Brinkerhoff said. Since then, there has been a major paradigm shift in treating substance use disorders.  

This shift includes a major transformation from an abstinence/psychotherapeutic-only based approach to treating individuals with these disorders as having a disease, like a chronic medical condition. Evidence has shown tremendous efficacy to treating individuals in this manner.  

Shadow Mountain Detox Hospital is excited to announce the addition of outpatient medication assisted therapy  to the current spectrum of detoxification services at their St. George campus. 

“With the addition of this vital aspect of substance abuse recovery, we will continue offering cutting edge, evidence-based treatment for this devastating disease,” Brinkerhoff said, adding that treatment options for substance use disorders are as unique as the individuals being treated.  

For years, the basis for treatment has been detox, followed by a psychotherapeutic and supportive approach. These treatment modalities are still an integral part of the recovery spectrum and are still needed for successful recovery. However, the addition of medication-assisted therapy can specifically target brain receptors that are causing  the involuntary drive to use these substances.   

Like other chronic diseases, it is possible to manage addiction, but finding the right solution may take a few attempts to get things right. 

Don’t let the tentacles of addiction control your life and the lives of your family. The full spectrum of detoxification services is available right now in Southern Utah at Shadow Mountain Detox Hospital. 

Call for more information at 435-222-0778 or 1-800-203-8249.

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