Dr. David Sack
MD
Free
Addiction Psychiatrist, CEO of Elements Behavioral Health Expert
Dr. David Sack Quick Facts
- Main Areas
- Addiction; Dual Diagnosis
- Career Focus
- CEO
- Affiliation
- Promises Treatment Centers, The Ranch at Nunnelly, Sexual Recovery Institutes, Elements Behavioral Health
Dr. Sack is board-certified in psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine, and is a certified Medical Review Officer. His experience in substance abuse treatment includes implementing comprehensive ambulatory detoxification within general medical settings, substance abuse treatment of adjudicated youth and adults, and developing specialized residential and outpatient treatment programs of dually-diagnosed clients in both rural and urban settings. Dr. Sack is currently CEO of Elements Behavioral Health, which owns Promises Treatment Centers, The Ranch, The Recovery Place, and The Sexual Recovery Institute. You can learn more about David Sack on Google Plus.
Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
Life Through the Eyes of a High-Functioning Addict
It is widely understood in the treatment field that addiction is a chronic brain disease, but it takes time for the associated stereotypes and stigma to fade. A common misconception is that all addicts are tragically flawed individuals who can’t hold down a job or support their families.
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How the New Definition of Addiction Corrects Long-Standing Misconceptions
For decades, many people have gotten the wrong idea about addiction. Even as scientific research piled up supporting the theory that addiction is a brain disease, misunderstandings about addiction have persisted. In August 2011, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) took an important step toward refuting some of these long-held misconceptions, redefining addiction as a chronic brain disease. After four years of research and 80 expert opinions, ASAM’s definition responds to some of the most widespread misunderstandings about addiction.
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Why People Start Using Drugs (and Why They Sometimes Don't Stop)
Many believe that people just use drugs to get high. It turns out that there are several reasons why people start to use drugs. The first reason obviously is to experience intense pleasure: people want to feel that rush so they start to experiment with drugs to experience it. But there are other reasons as well. Many people start to use drugs because they want to feel better; they want to get rid of negative feelings – what we call negative affect – things like depression, anxiety, agitation, and anger. They use drugs to ameliorate those feelings.
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Will an Addiction Vaccine Work?
For more than 25 years, scientists have been hard at work formulating vaccines for nicotine, cocaine and other addictions. Growing recognition of addiction as a brain disease has spurred renewed interest in medical solutions such as vaccines.
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What Makes Addicts Stop Caring? How Empathy Gets Hijacked by Addiction
When you walk into a 12-Step meeting, one of the first things you may see is a sign that says, “We Care.” Though short and seemingly insignificant, this message highlights one of the components of 12-Step recovery that makes the program so effective: empathy. What Is Empathy? In its broadest sense, empathy is central to what it means to be fully human. It allows us to tune into how someone else is feeling and gives us insights into the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of other people.
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6 Ways Parents in Recovery Can Raise Healthy, Resilient Children
Addiction is a disease that affects spouses and children as dramatically as addicts themselves. When people get sober, they often set out to right the wrongs they’ve done to their children. And though children of addicts are at greater risk for emotional problems and addiction than other children, there are steps parents in recovery can take to minimize these risks. Through education and a conscious effort to develop the tools for positive parenting, we can become the parents we want to be rather than the parents we had.
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Five Winning Strategies to Avoid Getting Addicted to Prescription Drugs
When a doctor prescribes a medication, patients rarely think twice about taking it. Prescription drugs are legal and provided by a physician who presumably has expertise in their field. For the most part, this system functions as it should. The doctor knows which medications and which doses are most effective, and the patient reaps the benefits that prescription drugs can provide.
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Do Anti-Anxiety Drugs Make You More Anxious?
I have seen first-hand how prescription drugs can improve the lives of people with mental illness. I have also seen how their use can backfire. In fact, sometimes drugs do the opposite of the intended effect. Even when prescribed correctly anti-depressants may intensify the symptoms of depression and increase suicide risk.
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Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Dr. David Sack
It has always been my goal to create treatment programs that bring about permanent life change and life style improvement and not just symptom reduction.