Dr. Kalonia quirked an eyebrow at his explanation. "Well, I would appreciate it if you avoided breaking any of my medical droids, if possible," she said. "They're more difficult to replace than most droids, and we don't have quite the reserves that the First Order does." She wasn't sure how much his explanation revised her opinion of the First Order's medical staff, though; difficult patient or not, they should never have allowed him to reach this point.
"The primary problem is a chemical imbalance, yes," she explained. "We can take care of that with medication, and balance out some of the related depression and anxiety. But addictions of all sorts are as much psychological as they are chemical; more so when no actual chemical substances are involved. The addictive behavior patterns become ingrained until it's difficult to function without them, even if what originally triggered them is no longer a factor. There's always some new stressor that an addicted brain will use as an excuse as to why the behavior must continue. Having a non-judgmental professional to talk to and get advice from can be helpful in a lot of cases; having someone who can check your logic and recognize warning signs can help prevent backsliding."
"And also, while we can take care of the current problem, the mental and emotional toll it's taken on you over the years won't just go away. Nor will the new mental and emotional stresses and challenges that will come with recovery. You will need to work those out somehow, as they only exacerbate the other issues, and a professional pyschotherapist would be best equipped to do that."
"Without the option of professional psychological consultation, though, we're going to have to rely on a strong support system to help you through this," she said, turning her gaze to Leia, who nodded. She would do whatever was necessary to support her son through this, and was already mentally making plans for things she thought might be potentially helpful.
The doctor gave Leia a nod in return before turning her gaze back to Ben. "You're already off to an excellent start with your mother," she said. "But honestly, the broader a safety net you have, the better. I don't doubt that your mother will be telling your father and getting him involved, but I really recommend involving your friends or friends of your family who you feel you can trust. The more people involved in keeping you on track, the better your chances."
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Date: 2017-03-07 06:34 am (UTC)"The primary problem is a chemical imbalance, yes," she explained. "We can take care of that with medication, and balance out some of the related depression and anxiety. But addictions of all sorts are as much psychological as they are chemical; more so when no actual chemical substances are involved. The addictive behavior patterns become ingrained until it's difficult to function without them, even if what originally triggered them is no longer a factor. There's always some new stressor that an addicted brain will use as an excuse as to why the behavior must continue. Having a non-judgmental professional to talk to and get advice from can be helpful in a lot of cases; having someone who can check your logic and recognize warning signs can help prevent backsliding."
"And also, while we can take care of the current problem, the mental and emotional toll it's taken on you over the years won't just go away. Nor will the new mental and emotional stresses and challenges that will come with recovery. You will need to work those out somehow, as they only exacerbate the other issues, and a professional pyschotherapist would be best equipped to do that."
"Without the option of professional psychological consultation, though, we're going to have to rely on a strong support system to help you through this," she said, turning her gaze to Leia, who nodded. She would do whatever was necessary to support her son through this, and was already mentally making plans for things she thought might be potentially helpful.
The doctor gave Leia a nod in return before turning her gaze back to Ben. "You're already off to an excellent start with your mother," she said. "But honestly, the broader a safety net you have, the better. I don't doubt that your mother will be telling your father and getting him involved, but I really recommend involving your friends or friends of your family who you feel you can trust. The more people involved in keeping you on track, the better your chances."