Center for Addiction Treatment

Richard Yeager, Summer 2013

The summer I have spent at CCAT has been an incredibly eye-opening experience. Prior to this experience, I had minimal exposure to individuals with addiction. From the first day I stepped foot into CCAT, I was continually shown that any preconceived notions I had about addiction were far from accurate. Every day I felt that I was challenged with new lessons to learn. Simply sitting and talking to patients about their experiences offered me a wealth of insight into the world of addiction, and showed how it is truly a disease, not some moral shortcoming or personal weakness. No one wants to suffer from addiction, and many people are actively trying to escape its grasp. However, because addiction is so stigmatizing, there are many barriers to treatment that individuals must overcome before they are able to begin their journey to recovery.

My project this summer has been to redesign a support group called SOLACE for individuals who have lost a loved one to addiction. SOLACE was originally founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, and stands for Surviving Our Loss And Continuing Every day and seeks to serve individuals who have lost a loved one due to addiction. SOLACE chapters have been started in many other areas of Ohio, and CCAT has received a charter to host one in Hamilton County. However, CCAT's initial run with starting SOLACE was less successful than other areas in Ohio, so I worked to adapt the current program into a finished product that would better serve the Greater Cincinnati area. In Hamilton County, one person dies from an opiate overdose every 18 hours; the state of Ohio sees 4 deaths due to opiate overdose every day. These statistics are staggering, and bolstered our confidence that there was indeed a great need for such a support group in our community. As part of redesigning CCAT's SOLACE program, I adapted and compiled a six-week grief education curriculum to complement a recurring biweekly support group for individuals who have lost a loved one to addiction.

In conclusion, I would not trade my experience at CCAT for anything. From knowing virtually nothing about the disease of addiction to being completely immersed in its treatment, I have learned invaluable lessons that I will carry forward as I continue towards becoming a physician. Addiction is not a disease that is likely to be eradicated in my lifetime, but I hope that because of my experience here, I will be able to treat it compassionately and skillfully throughout my career, as well as teach others to do the same.