Dr. Charles Smith brings critical insights about addiction as a legitimate medical disease requiring scientific understanding and treatment approaches that match its complexity and timeline.
• Addiction is a brain disease affecting the dopamine reward system, comparable to diabetes or heart disease
• Approximately 1 in 10 people have vulnerable dopamine systems predisposing them to addiction
• Risk factors include genetic predisposition, early age of first use, childhood trauma, high substance tolerance, and co-occurring mental disorders
• Full brain healing from addiction typically requires 1-2 years, making 30-day rehab models inadequate
• Dr. Smith shares his personal journey from practicing physician to addiction patient following DEA intervention
• Ending stigma requires treating addiction like other medical conditions while maintaining accountability
• The fentanyl crisis represents a national security threat with unprecedented overdose deaths
• Recovery success requires long-term monitoring, support networks, and avoiding all mind-altering substances
• Physician monitoring programs achieve 90% success rates through comprehensive care and accountability
Understanding Addiction: Know Science, No Stigma by Dr. Charles Smith and Dr. Jason Hunt is available on Amazon and provides thorough education on addiction science.
The Fatal Facts of Fentanyl podcast is dedicated to raising Awareness to the illicit FENTANYL crisis hitting the USA.
The goal is to SAVE LIVES and families from this travesty.
Awareness and Education are the Key.
Knowledge is Power!
