Addiction Medicine

Depending on your situation, this may include medications to ease withdrawal, reduce cravings, or support long-term abstinence, combined with regular follow-up visits to adjust your plan as you progress. Your provider will explain how each medication works and what to expect, and dosing is typically adjusted gradually rather than fixed from the first visit. Side effects and how you're feeling day-to-day are both part of that conversation at every follow-up.

Yes. Our Virtual Addiction Treatment program offers the same board-certified providers and medication management through secure telehealth visits, so distance or scheduling conflicts don't have to be a barrier to care. Some patients start in-person and transition to virtual visits later, or use a mix of both depending on what a given week looks like. Either way, you stay with the same care team throughout.

No. Reaching out earlier, before a substance use issue becomes a crisis, generally leads to better outcomes. There's no minimum severity required to start a conversation with our team. If you're unsure whether your situation warrants treatment, that uncertainty itself is a reasonable enough reason to schedule an evaluation. Many patients tell us they wish they had reached out sooner rather than waiting for things to get worse.

Your first visit focuses on understanding your history, current substance use, and any withdrawal symptoms you're experiencing, so we can build a treatment plan tailored to your specific situation rather than a generic protocol. We'll also discuss your goals for treatment, whether that's full abstinence, harm reduction, or something in between, since the right plan depends on what you're aiming for. Nothing about that first conversation is scripted or rushed.

With your permission, yes. Family support often plays an important role in recovery, and we can discuss ways to involve loved ones in your treatment plan if that's something you want. This can range from a family member joining part of a visit to simply keeping them informed of your general progress, depending on what you're comfortable with. The choice of how involved they are is entirely yours.

That's a common experience, and it doesn't mean treatment won't work for you — it often means the approach needs medical and structured support rather than willpower alone. Substance dependence changes how the brain responds to a substance over time, which is part of why stopping on your own is often so difficult, even for people who are highly motivated. Medical treatment can ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings in ways that make the process more manageable, and combining that with counseling addresses the behavioral and emotional side as well. A past attempt that didn't stick is information we can use to build a better plan this time, not a sign that treatment is off the table for you.

Getting started is as simple as scheduling an evaluation with our team, either in person or through our Virtual Addiction Treatment program if that's a better fit for your schedule. There's no separate intake process required before you can be seen, and you don't need to prepare anything in advance beyond a general sense of what's been going on. Your first visit is focused on understanding your situation and answering your questions, not on paperwork or judgment. From there, your provider will lay out a treatment plan and next steps that make sense given your specific circumstances.