When we failed to have our emotional needs met as children, for whatever reason – abuse, neglect, mentally ill or substance-abusing parents – we may turn to drugs or alcohol. This can seem to ease the pain and make life a little more pleasurable or interesting in the moment.  That can work for awhile but then the drugs and alcohol can become our whole world.  We don’t bother to learn more healthy and effective coping skills for life’s difficult occasions. When this happens we can start to rely on drugs and alcohol for more of our needs to be met. Our drug of choice can become our friend, our sustenance, and even our Higher Power/God. This reliance can start to damage our lives in ways we never saw coming, and after awhile we might feel the need to slow down or stop using -- but it’s scary and hard to even imagine doing that.

As a licensed psychologist, I have worked with people in various drug and alcohol facilities including Kaiser in Vallejo. I have also helped with dually diagnosed clients who have mental health challenges as well as substance abuse problems. Sometimes a formal program is needed, and  other times we can work on it individually, with community support like 12 step groups. I am happy to either assess and refer you to outside programs or work with you individually, depending on one’s needs. One of the most rewarding things is seeing a person go from being a prisoner of his or her drug of choice to being empowered, capable of making life-enhancing decisions, and having the lives they want. I am honored to be part of that process and want to assist you in creating that.Together we can identify thought, behavior, and feeling patterns that lead to using. We can then replace them with healthier patterns, and lay the foundation for a more happy and productive life. It takes time and effort, but it is so worthwhile. I know that once you have built a foundation of strong connections with other people and the community, and start to feel better about yourself, the thought of using unhealthy substances can just seem ridiculous. Let’s start working on this together, now!

It may not be a straight-arrow experience, since substance abuse involves a lot of denial and other thought patterns that keep a person from facing the truth head-on. I have seen people think they have licked their drug problem by going to a few meetings and coming to see me for a bit, but they were not yet ready to say goodbye to their drug of choice. Often those same people finally admitted that they could not control their use of drugs or alcohol and made a huge, positive change. It happened day by day, making a daily commitment to themselves and the kind of life they wanted in the long run--just as any change happens bit by bit. Thinking about giving up your main coping strategy forever is pretty scary for most people – that’s why they say “one day at a time” in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Please call now to schedule an appointment so we can meet and decide how to help you through this difficult time. We can get through it together. My name is Lisa Larsen, PsyD (CA #PSY19046) and you can reach me at 661-233-6771. I look forward to speaking to you soon.