Recovery from addiction is possible. For help, please call the free and confidential treatment referral hotline (1-800-662-HELP) or visit findtreatment.gov.

Alesia Brand is a therapist at the WVU Crisis Support and Recovery Center, located in downtown Martinsburg, West Virginia. She works 10 hour shifts, where she spends most of her time facilitating group therapy and educating her patients on the effects of substance use disorder.

“Addiction is a brain disease, and I try to train and educate our patients to understand that their brain gets hijacked. In the beginning, they do have this choice, but, once they’re addicted, their brain is after dopamine. They feel like they need it to survive. And a lot of people don’t understand that, thinking that this is purely behavioral, just something that somebody chooses to do,” Brand says.

At the CSRC, patients are able to decide whether or not to continue their recovery at any point during their rehabilitation.

“I was just in a group therapy session and one of my patients said, ‘You guys really care about us. You don’t force anything on us and you actually love us.’ We want the best for them but that they also have agency, and they can make decisions and we respect them,” Brand says.

“Sometimes the most heartbreaking is when somebody is just not ready, and we want them to be ready. They come here and initially say, ‘This is what I want. I want this so badly.’ Then, after a couple of days of treatment, they start feeling better, life rushes in, and they’ll even be apologetic,” Brand says. “‘I’m really sorry. I’m just not ready.’” 

Brand says that in her line of work, taking the time to care for herself and her mental health is just as important as the help she provides to others.

“I have learned to treat the work-life balance very seriously, because you cannot give from an empty cup. I recently took up pickleball, and I have kids ranging from 15 to 25.”  Brand says.

“I do let people know that they never have to feel ashamed to come here, no matter how many times it takes,” Brand says. “Because one of those times it really might take. And, you know, I just feel pretty lucky to be a part of that journey for them.”

Healthcare is Human: Recovery Series is a podcast taking an in-depth look at individuals working in addiction treatment and recovery services in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Listen to Alesia Brand’s entire interview on Healthcare is Human here.