GREENWICH For years, community members have been asking substance abuse counselor John Hamilton about the root causes of drug addiction.

People want to know, is it genetics? Is it the environment? Hamilton said during a presentation at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich on Wednesday morning.

Both can play a role, but more factors are involved when it comes to addiction, said Hamilton, president and CEO of Liberation Programs, a Connecticut nonprofit that helps individuals overcome addiction.

Experts look at an individuals behavior, their brain mechanisms and the drug theyre using when determining a persons likelihood of experiencing addiction, he said. Even memory can play a part.

Hamilton recalled the story of a colleagues client who had struggled with heroin addiction for years. The man got into a car accident, lost his long-term memory and forgot he was addicted to heroin.

He never had a heroin problem again because he lost that memory, Hamilton said.

As the opiate crisis and a newfound vaping epidemic grip the nation, he offered community members information about substance use while providing solutions for building resiliency.

Statistics on substance use among adolescents and young adults dominated the beginning of conversation in the churchs sanctuary members of the Greenwich Retired Mens Association.

In Greenwich, the biggest issue overlooked is the high number of youths who abuse alcohol, he said. While 171 people die in America each day from the opiate epidemic, that number swells to 415, if alcohol-related deaths are added, he said. If tobacco deaths are accounted for, the number increases to 1,000 deaths per day.

What we really are getting overshadowed by with all the issues around the opiate epidemic is the fact that kids are still choosing to drink as their substance of choice, said Hamilton. And with all the anxiety and stress that theyre under, the kids that are not comfortable in their own skin, those are the ones that are going to be at risk.

In his work at Liberation Programs, Hamilton often see clients who are trying to conceal or suppress underlying traumas by using drugs or alcohol.

People do drugs for two reasons, he said. To feel good or to feel better.

Most of his clients are categorized in the latter group. They have anxiety, they have depression, Hamilton said. Its about disconnection to their feelings, disconnection to family, the community anything they can do to not have to actually be present because theyre not comfortable in their own skin.

A recent community survey gives a clearer picture of drug and alcohol use among youth in town.

More than 50 percent of 12th-graders reported drinking within 30 days of completing the survey. Results showed 34 percent of seniors had access to marijuana, 12 percent could find cocaine, heroin or LSD and 6 percent could obtain amphetamines.

While the number of students smoking cigarettes has decreased over the last five years in town, the percentage of youths smoking e-cigarettes has increased. In the survey, about 65 percent of 12th-graders reported having access to electronic cigarettes.

In drug trends, perception of risk influences (an) epidemic, said Hamilton. So, if a kid thinks something is safe, theyll use it and thats what happened with e-cigarettes. It was positioned as a safer alternative to smoking and now we know it wasnt.

Another finding of the survey showed parents perceptions of substances, could influence their childs likelihood of experiencing problems with drugs of alcohol. A parents disapproval of drugs or alcohol can reduce the likelihood of their child using them.

While Hamilton acknowledged that Wednesdays presentation was morbid, he offered attendees a glimmer of hope.

The good news is, we know, every year you delay the age of onset for that first use of a substance, it significantly reduces the likelihood that (the) child is gonna have a problem with alcohol and drugs in their lifetime, he said.

If a kid starts drinking before the age of 14, they have a 40 percent chance of having a problem with alcohol in their life, regardless of genetics, he said.

But if the person waits to until theyre 21 to have their first drink, that number drops to less than a 7 percent chance, he concluded.

Just before closing the discussion, Hamilton offered tips to parents and other adult attendees with children or youth in their lives.

He encouraged parents to lead by example and to exhibit healthy mood-regulation during times of stress. Parents should refrain from judging their children and remain open, nurturing and responsive when their youngsters approach them about these issues, Hamilton said.

If parents want children to change their behaviors, they should give them the skills and support to do so while providing incentives and other motivations, he said.

You here in this room could be that consistent, supportive, loving person in the childs life, Hamilton said. And that could make a difference for everything else going on in their life.

tatiana.flowers@thehour.com

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Expert offers insights into addiction in Greenwich presentation - CT Insider

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