Psychoactive Substances
Psychoactive substances are drugs which alter a person's brain chemistry. They include depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and inhalants.
Cindy Hardy
Dr. Cindy Hardy is a Licensed Psychotherapist with over 17 years of experience in the mental health and substance abuse field. She is a professional member of the National Association of Addiction Professionals (NAAP) and Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCA). Dr. Hardy holds a Doctorate Degree in Behavioral Health, Masters in Psychology, and Master in Health & Human Services from Upper Iowa University and Grand Canyon University.
She specializes in addiction, mental health, trauma, and workplace stress. She has worked with children, adults, families, couples, veterans, and groups on such issues as: grief and loss, divorce, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, anger management, parenting skills, psychological and sexual abuse, domestic violence, trauma, money management, and personal spiritual development.
Her license and certifications include: License Professional Counselor (LPC), International Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ICADC-II), Masters Addiction Counselor (MAC), Clinical Employee Assistant Specialist (EAS-C), Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). Dr. Hardy uses a person-centered, holistic, multicultural, and eclectic approach in treatment to tailor treatment to the persons need and culture. Dr. Hardy enjoys helping others achieve their full potential by helping people find healthy perspectives of themselves and strengthen their relationships, families, and ultimately their community.
Posts by Cindy Hardy
Benefits Of Recovery vs. Discomfort Of Withdrawal
During detox and recovery, withdrawal involves discomfort, but the benefits of overcoming addiction far outweigh withdrawal pains.
Difficulty Trusting Yourself And Others In Recovery
A life of addiction can make it difficult to trust yourself or to believe others, but the success of recovery depends on opening yourself to feedback.
Fear In The Early Stages Of Recovery
A life of addiction involves fear, and the prospect of starting recovery might be frightening. However, overcoming fear is the key to finding freedom.
Practice, Not Perfectionism, In Recovery
To achieve recovery from addiction, it is important to give treatment a try and practice sobriety as a lifestyle. Perfectionism prevents progress.
Ping Pong Treatment
Ping pong treatment is a term used to describe what happens when a patient bounces back and forth between addiction and mental health treatment.
Integrated Treatment: Part 2 – The Approach
The integrated treatment approach to psychiatric and substance use disorders makes sense from the standpoint of viewing recovery from a holistic approach.
Integrated Treatment: Part 1
The goal of addressing addiction and mental illness is to provide an overall understanding of the importance of an integrated treatment approach.
Similarities Between Psychiatric And Substance Use Disorders
Learn more about how the many ways by which psychiatric and substance use disorders are similar and how dual recovery can help.