"Thank you, Bruce, for helping my family help me. With your support and direction, they were able to help me understand that I had become sick and needed to seek treatment."
12 Step Programs
When there is a genetic predisposition for addiction, it's not automatic that an individual will progress to full blown addiction. On chromosome number four, where the brain chemistry is found, we have alcoholism and drug, food and other physiological addictions as well as ADD, ADHD, tourettes syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder or tendencies and a type of depression. Development is affected by many things from diet to trauma, and sometimes these issues don't show up for years or decades. In the United States it is almost a rite of passage from teen to adult to abuse alcohol or other substances. It's like playing Russian Roulette getting through youth and young adult years without death, injury, legal problems, relationship issues and finishing education. If they do get 'caught' with an alcohol or drug related offense, they fortfeit the privilage of getting financial aid for college. This type of punishment makes it extra difficult for addicts to become fully functioning citizens of families and communities.
We need to think about addiction in a different way. Not all drug and alcohol abusers are criminals, but all alcoholics and drug addicts have the illness and need treatment, not punishment, unless they have commited crimes against others. It is important for family members and friends to gain understanding about addiction and it would be even better if our lawmakers, judges and local authorities including clergy could understand better. Our approach is not working very well, addiction is on the rise. Organizations that tout prevention by encouraging church attendance or getting saved does not prevent or cure addiction, nothing does when it is in the genetic markers. This is why so many different types of addiction can manifest from spending, food, relationships, power, gaming, gambling, sex addiction, even religion. It is not a moral issue, although most addicts will discover in the illness that they have compromised their own value system. Addiction is a complete illness in that it is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. A good recovery program will address all these issues.
In spite of some negative press, 12 step programs still have the greatest success rate of any other recovery program.
Service Area
Perkins Intervention's main service areas are in Indiana and surrounding states, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Bloomington, LaFayette, or Muncie, IN, Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH or Eastern IL or Southern Michigan. Occasionally, there is a need to travel to one coast or the other, but Bruce has no problem with referring other intervention specialists who practice in other parts of the country.
