The Most Common Addictions We See at Seasons

TL;DR:

Dr. Tiffany Towers identifies alcohol, benzodiazepines, and pain medications as the most common addictions treated at Seasons. She explains how these substances often become coping mechanisms for life stressors or emotional overwhelm, with prescription medications creating particular confusion since they’re medically prescribed but can still lead to dependency.

About Dr. Tiffany Towers:

Dr. Tiffany Towers brings deep understanding to addiction patterns based on her extensive clinical experience across diverse treatment settings throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Her work in substance abuse treatment programs has given her insight into how different substances serve different psychological functions for clients. With her doctorate in Clinical Forensic Psychology, she’s particularly skilled at understanding the complex relationship between mental health symptoms and substance use, recognizing that addiction often develops as an attempt at self-medication.

Her background in forensic psychology has shown her how legal prescription medications can create unique challenges for clients who struggle with the cognitive dissonance of being “addicted” to something a doctor prescribed. This clinical insight helps her approach prescription drug dependency with the compassion and understanding needed to address both the medical and psychological aspects of these addictions.

Dr. Towers’ theatrical training and understanding of narrative has also influenced her approach to addiction treatment. She recognizes that clients often develop stories about their substance use that make sense within their life context – whether it’s needing to “numb out” to cope with overwhelming circumstances or believing prescription medications are inherently safe because they’re doctor-prescribed. Her role involves helping clients examine these narratives with curiosity rather than judgment while developing healthier coping strategies.

Video Transcript:

What are some of the most common addictions you deal with at Seasons?

Some of the most common addictions that we deal with at Seasons will be alcohol, benzodiazepines, and pain medications. Oftentimes when people are struggling with other life stressors, they may need to feel like they have to numb out in order to cope and get through. Or if they’re feeling overwhelmed, they just have this sense of, “Well, my doctor prescribed it to me, so it should be okay, right?” And they lose track of the fact that they might be overusing or depending on it too much in order to regulate their feelings.

Key Insights:

Dr. Towers identifies substances that are often legal and socially acceptable, highlighting how addiction can develop even within medical and social norms. Alcohol, benzodiazepines, and pain medications are all substances that can be obtained legally and used appropriately, making dependency more difficult to recognize and address.

Her explanation of “numbing out” acknowledges that substance use often serves a psychological function – helping people cope with overwhelming emotions or life circumstances. This understanding moves beyond moral judgments to recognize addiction as an attempt at emotional regulation.

The prescription medication issue is particularly complex because it involves medical authority and trust. Clients may struggle with the idea that something prescribed by a doctor could become problematic, creating internal conflict about seeking help.

The phrase “regulate their feelings” identifies the core issue underlying many addictions – difficulty managing emotional states without external substances. This insight points toward the need for developing internal emotional regulation skills in recovery.

Reflection Questions:

• How do you currently cope with overwhelming stress or emotions, and are any of those strategies potentially problematic?
• What role does the “legitimacy” of a substance (legal, prescribed, socially acceptable) play in how you view its use?
• When does using something to “get through” difficult times cross the line into dependency?

Related Topics:

This video addresses common addiction patterns, prescription drug dependency, emotional regulation through substances, the role of medical authority in addiction development, and distinguishing between appropriate use and problematic dependency.