Photo of Eric L Tillman, Licensed Professional Counselor in 15235, PA
Eric L Tillman
Licensed Professional Counselor, MS, LPC
Verified Verified
Penn Hills, PA 15235
You may be feeling anxious, sad, depressed, overwhelmed, misunderstood, and lonely right now. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help, and I applaud you for reaching out. I am passionate about bringing healing to those who have been through traumatic and stressful experiences. I provide psychotherapy and counseling to individuals dealing with issues related to anxiety, depression, stress, personality disorders, substance abuse, trauma, panic disorder, life transitions, etc. I will provide a thorough assessment to aid in identifying specific concerns and will modify my therapeutic approaches to match your individualized needs.
You may be feeling anxious, sad, depressed, overwhelmed, misunderstood, and lonely right now. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help, and I applaud you for reaching out. I am passionate about bringing healing to those who have been through traumatic and stressful experiences. I provide psychotherapy and counseling to individuals dealing with issues related to anxiety, depression, stress, personality disorders, substance abuse, trauma, panic disorder, life transitions, etc. I will provide a thorough assessment to aid in identifying specific concerns and will modify my therapeutic approaches to match your individualized needs.
(412) 226-9993 View (412) 226-9993
Drug Abuse Therapists

How do substance and drug recovery or rehabilitation programs work?

In inpatient programs, individuals live in a facility with other clients in recovery; in outpatient programs, individuals reside at home. These facilities are staffed with healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, psychologists, counselors, and psychotherapists. Staff often also includes people who have recovered themselves, serving as mentors and guides. These programs may use abstinence, harm reduction, detoxification, psychotherapy, and other methods.

How do 12-step programs combined with psychotherapy work?

Members of 12-step programs help each other reach abstinence and work to maintain it. These programs promote complete change in the individual’s emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual perspectives. Some programs require that new members attend 90 meetings in 90 days. Many people do attend these programs in conjunction with their work in psychotherapy; the combination of therapy along with 12-step can be extremely effective.

How does harm reduction combined with psychotherapy work?

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, harm reduction prevents death, injury, disease, overdose, and substance misuse. People who choose harm reduction for substance use reduce the amount of drugs they consume. It is not abstinence-based like a 12-step program, but combining harm reduction with psychotherapy proves to be effective for many people.

Are there specific medications for substance and drug use?

There are medications approved to treat substance use disorder—such as buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, and acamprosate. These medications do help people cope with substance use as well as avoid the problem of relapse. Naltrexone can help reduce cravings, methadone is an opioid medication used to treat severe pain, and acamprosate may help ease symptoms like poor sleep and anxious feelings.