Substance Use Disorders
Addiction is a medical condition, not a moral failing. If alcohol or drug use has become hard to control, treatment works — and asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
What is a substance use disorder?
A substance use disorder develops when the use of alcohol, prescription medications, or other drugs changes the brain's reward, stress, and self-control systems — making it progressively harder to cut back even when the consequences are piling up. It is a recognized medical condition, and like other chronic health conditions, it responds to evidence-based treatment.
No one chooses addiction, and no amount of willpower alone rewires a brain that has adapted to a substance. People from every background, profession, and family develop substance use disorders. What matters is not how it started, but that effective help exists now.
Substance use disorders also rarely travel alone. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and bipolar disorder commonly occur alongside addiction — sometimes driving the substance use, sometimes worsened by it. Treating one while ignoring the other tends not to work, which is why we treat co-occurring conditions together, as one integrated plan.
Common signs and symptoms
- Using more, or for longer, than you intended
- Wanting to cut down or quit, and finding you can't stay stopped
- Spending significant time obtaining, using, or recovering from a substance
- Cravings — strong urges that crowd out other thoughts
- Continuing to use despite problems at work, school, home, or in relationships
- Giving up activities you used to enjoy
- Needing more to get the same effect, or feeling sick when you stop
- Hiding or minimizing your use from people close to you
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you're having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — free, confidential, and available 24/7.
How are substance use disorders treated?
Addiction treatment is central to who we are: Shrinkty's founder is a board-certified physician assistant who specializes in addiction medicine, and our whole team practices without judgment or lecture. Care begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation that looks at your substance use, your mental health, and your goals — then we build a personalized plan together.
- Medication management — medications can reduce cravings, ease withdrawal, and support recovery from alcohol and opioid use disorders, while we also treat any co-occurring depression, anxiety, or other conditions.
- Therapy — counseling helps you understand what drives your use, build coping skills, repair relationships, and develop a relapse prevention plan — concrete strategies for recognizing triggers and high-risk moments before they become a return to use.
- Telehealth — secure video visits from anywhere in Tennessee make it easier to stay consistent with care, which matters enormously in recovery.
Recovery is rarely a straight line, and a setback is not a failure — it's information we use to strengthen your plan. Many people build lasting recovery with the right combination of medication, therapy, and support.
When to reach out
You don't have to hit a "rock bottom" to deserve help. If you've been worrying about your use, if someone you trust has raised it, or if you've tried to cut back and couldn't, that's enough reason to talk with someone — confidentially and without judgment. We treat patients ages 13 and up. Fill out our new patient form or call 615-716-8255.