Emotional Sobriety & the Science of Addiction

Using both his personal and professional experience with addiction, Dr. Seefeld reframes how we think about addiction and offers a non-pharmacologic approach to helping individuals engage in treatment, attain early sobriety, and develop patterns of thinking and emotional management that support long-term recovery. He has shifted away from focusing solely on the addictive substance and will instead guide us upstream to identify underlying issues—specifically, the maladaptive thinking and emotional breakdowns that increase the risk of problematic use in the first place. Throughout the discussion, we will explore the basic science of addiction and gain a deeper understanding of the complexity behind the “whys” of addictive patterns, including maladaptive thinking, emotional responses, and behaviors that hinder long-term recovery.