Dr. McMahon on Holistic Approaches to Addiction Treatment

Thanks to USA Today contributor Kyle Russell for highlighting the importance of understanding the whole person in addiction recovery; the individual in context, which includes mental, physical, spiritual, and relational or social well-being. Russell showcases the work being done by Nick Padlo at Sophros Recovery , which takes a holistic approach to addiction treatment.?

As a clinical health psychologist, I’ve been trained to look at an individual from all angles. In preparation for a session, I look at recent lab work, medical history, mental health history, social history, and take inventory of the puzzle pieces available as I start to put the whole person picture together. I’m looking for insight into health behaviors like weight, smoking or substance use, engagement with the health system, and adherence to medical recommendations. I’m interested in potential barriers to care like housing or food insecurity, living in a dangerous area, having poor social support, lack of transportation, etc.?

Every piece of the puzzle plays a role in the presentation and functioning of the individual as they come into care. And, in some way, every piece needs to be addressed for the WHOLE to get better. I have always understood substance abuse in this context - whether it precedes or results from the individual’s distress.?Is substance abuse a means to cope with trauma, conflict, or distress? Is it the cause of those issues? Is it a bit of both? The answer will be unique to each person, however, substance abuse, or addiction, never exists in a silo separate from mental health. I was surprised to learn a number of years ago, when I had the privilege to work with a large substance use treatment organization, that they were on the cutting edge as they sought to infuse mental health treatment into their program. I was not previously aware that substance use treatment was often separate from mental health care and that patients might not have been conceptualized in a whole person context; that depression and anxiety might not have been addressed as a part of standard of care in SUD treatment.?

Kudos to organizations like Sophros Recovery and others with whom I have since been honored to work as they leverage technology to routinely screen important mental health domains like depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD, and quality of life. They are focused on the whole person, knowing that leaving out essential pieces to the puzzle makes for an incomplete picture; decreasing the likelihood of improved outcomes.