Addiction Alternatives

BRT is based on the principles of Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (HRT) a non-judgmental approach to helping substance users and behavioral addicts to reduce the negative impact of drugs, alcohol or behaviors in their lives. It respects that people use drugs or get involved with self-harming repetitive behaviors for reasons. It addresses the complex relationship that people develop with drugs, alcohol and certain other behaviors. Drug, alcohol and behavioral issues are addressed simultaneously with social and occupational concerns and psychological and emotional issues.

Anyone is welcome in our treatment, regardless of the status of their drug use and regardless of their primary concerns or goals. A person's goals can range from complete abstinence to controlled or safer use based on a desire to improve health, relationships, or one's functioning in the world.

Behavior Reduction Training (BRT) is the most innovative and sophisticated development in drug and alcohol treatment in many decades. It is a multidimensional approach to working with drug, alcohol and other addictive behaviors where addicts who are experiencing problems related to their substance use. It takes into consideration the biological, emotional, and social components of drug and alcohol use, the complex nature of a person's relationship with drugs or alcohol, and the difficulty of achieving total abstinence. BRT is unique because of the integrative nature of our approach and because treatment is tailored to the individual, not the individual to the treatment.

Harm Reduction Psychotherapy is also a motivational approach to increasing people's desire for greater health and well-being and increasing their motivation and their capacity to achieve a healthier life. Drug users with other disabilities (mental illness, HIV, and Hepatitis C, for example), and these are the majority, especially need a therapeutic approach that joins them at any point in their struggle with drugs and alcohol. Harm Reduction Therapy starts where the client is, works from the principles of acceptance and empowerment, and moves people in the direction of better health and responsibility. Its goal is improved quality of life in the areas of mental health, homelessness, incarceration, employment, and disease transmission, all of which have been demonstrated to be achievable without demanding abstinence from drugs and alcohol as a condition of treatment or assistance

In BRT we do not assume that addiction is only a disease. Rather, it is a bio-psychosocial phenomenon. This means that biological or physiological states interact with psychological, emotional and social issues in such a way that each person's relationship with drugs and alcohol becomes individual and unique.

This belief is in contrast to the American Disease Model, which provides the basis for all 12-step programs and most treatment programs in the United States. According to the disease model, addiction is a disease that follows the same course for everyone. It is progressive, incurable, will end in death if unchecked, and is characterized by loss of control and denial of the disease. Lifelong abstinence from all psychoactive substances is considered by American Disease Model adherents to be the only treatment for addiction.

Unlike the monolith of drug treatment, BRT has abandoned the top-down approach to mandating abstinence from all mind-altering substances in favor of a collaboration which invites our clients to share responsibility for devising the best treatment, and harm reducing, strategies. Treatment is tailored to the individual. There is no demand for change or abstinence as a condition of, or necessarily as a goal of, treatment. The treatment philosophy is "come as you are." Research shows that many people reduce the harm to themselves, their families and their communities by learning more about drugs and alcohol and by developing strategies to manage their drug and alcohol use. Although abstinence is often the most effective way to limit the damage done by drugs and alcohol. the majority of people do not achieve or maintain abstinence from all psychoactive substances. BRT is a therapy approach that helps the user to evaluate his or her problems and to plan for the right solution.

Traditional Addiction Treatment	Behavior Reduction Training
Addiction is a primary, biological disease. Other things about you or your life do not cause you to have this disease.	Addiction is a complex mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. You may have problems in your life that lead you to use.
This disease is always progressive and incurable. “Once an addict/alcoholic always an addict/alcoholic."	Problems with alcohol and other drugs may change for the better or worse over your lifetime.
Loss of control is a primary symptom of the disease of addiction.	You may or may not lose control of your use. Even controlled use may be harmful to you.
Addiction can be arrested only by lifelong abstinence from all drugs, not just the one you have a problem with now.	There are many ways you can reduce the harm done by alcohol and drug abuse. Abstinence is only one choice you might make.
People with the disease of addiction suffer from denial and must be confronted with the reality of their problem.	You usually know if you have an alcohol or drug problem. You might try to hide it so that others don’t judge you or because you’re afraid of being forced into giving it up forever.
Acceptance that you are powerless over your drug use is essential to “recovery”.	You can learn to use your power to make healthier choices.
Addiction is an “equal opportunity” disease. It’s the same for everyone. There is one program that everyone must follow in order to be successful in treatment.	Just as every person is different, so your treatment should be tailored to your unique needs, situation, and wishes.
You have to “hit bottom”, or suffer a lot of harm before you a “ready for treatment.	You might want to think about your patterns of alcohol and drug use and make some changes before it gets out of hand. You can make changes even if you are still drinking or using.
Drug abuse only leads to harm.	You may still get real benefits from you alcohol or drug use, even if it’s causing problems
It is immoral to use any illegal drugs or alcohol and those that are abstinence are therefore superior in some way	Neither drug nor alcohol use is a moral issue. People who use drugs are not necessary reckless or evil
In Summary: Addiction is a Disease	In Summary: Drug use is a risky behavior. But many people have an easy, normal relationship with alcohol or drugs. Addiction occurs when that relationship is persistently harmful to you or others.

Harm Reduction Psychotherapy (HRP) is an innovative treatment developed by Dr. Patt Denning for people with alcohol and other drug problems. Unlike the traditional disease model of addiction, HRP uses a biopsychosocial model to understand the complexities of drug use, abuse, and addiction. In other words, we do not believe that addiction is the primary issue. Rather, it is an interactive phenomenon in which the relative weight of biology, psychology and social factors varies for each person and for each drug he or she uses. HRP allows us to assess each person individually and to plan treatment that is tailored to the individual's relationship with alcohol and other drugs. It also allows us to incorporate other important problems: emotional disorders, family problems, social alienation, and medical complications. We discuss all of these important issues right at the start, without the client having to focus solely on their alcohol or drug problem. Most unique to this approach, clients do not have to commit to abstinence as a condition of, or even necessarily as a goal of, treatment.

Harm Reduction Psychotherapy was born out of the public health movement called harm reduction, which uses humane strategies to improve the health of active drug users, to protect them and their communities from the harms associated with drug abuse. Harm reduction