The modern definition of addiction is a “persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.” The root word addict comes from the Latin word addictus, which means “to devote, sacrifice, sell out, betray or abandon.” In the Roman law, an addiction referred to a person that became enslaved. While the modern and Latin definitions are quite different, a connection can certainly be drawn between the two. Research has shown that addiction chemically alters your brain, making you “a slave” to a substance.
He Moana Pukepuke e Ekengia e te Waka
(Stormy Seas can be Navigated)
Addiction is a loss of control, through an inability to stop or decrease using drugs or alcohol. We are here to help regain that control of your (or your loved one's) life.
We believe it's important not to just focus on the act of using drugs or alcohol but to also explore the ‘why’ – and there is always a reason; something underlying. And, without healthy connections in our lives, it is easy for us to make instant connections with drugs or alcohol. Or both. Until we uncover the reasons for our ‘self-medication’ and confront those reasons, long term recovery is extremely difficult.
We have clinicians and support workers that are not only specialised in the field of addiction, but also have their own lived experience of substance abuse. This means we all have passionate desire to help anyone that wants to break free from the grips of their addiction to reach their full potential in life.
If you or your loved one is suffering from addiction and are willing to take the first step to change, contact us to find out how.