Caty Davis, who is also known as Miss Tennessee, is speaking out about addiction because as she told Knox News, “I grew up in a family plagued by addiction. I have 12 family members who have or are still struggling with addiction. Unfortunately, I lost my father, my brother, and grandfather to addiction, all to this brain disease that alters brain chemistry.”
Now Davis is doing appearances at high schools and other places where she talks about the “four Cs,” which many in recovery eventually learn when dealing with loved ones suffering from addiction. “I didn’t cause it, I can’t cure it, but I can celebrate myself, and make good choices.”
Davis often speaks to three to five schools a day, and she is also an ambassador for Facing Addiction, who came up with the Count It, Lock It, Drop it campaign, which refers to keeping track of your medication intake and making sure no one else can steal it, like your kids.
“I’m not just a blond pageant girl,” she says. “I want to talk to these kids across the state and hopefully make a difference to them. I have a story of empowerment where I was vulnerable and depressed feeling like I was alone. If a pageant girl can say that, make it real for them and make them understand, then I want to do that every day.”
Risk Factors of Drug Abuse and Dependency
Anyone can become addicted to drugs. For some people, all it took was a one-time recreational use and that was enough to have them “hooked.” However, some people are more predisposed to substance abuse due to certain risk factors. A person may have one or more of these risk factors. The more they possess the greater the chance of falling into a cycle of drug abuse:
Biological makeup
Family history (parent or sibling abused drugs)
Environment (addiction can be a learned behavior)
Drug use at an early age, e.g. before adulthood
Peer pressure (often seen in teens and young adults)
Mental health issues, e.g., anxiety disorder, depression, or PTSD
Drug Addiction Treatment
Professional drug addiction treatment is often necessary to help an individual get over drug abuse and stay sober. It can be done at an inpatient or outpatient rehab. It is usually comprehensive and broadly categorized into physical and psychological treatment. Detoxification and therapy are the two core aspects of treatment. Together with supplemental programs, they provide a comprehensive approach to helping you successfully recover.
Getting Professional Treatment At The Detox Center of L.A.
If you or your loved one is troubled by addiction, you should know that recovery is possible. With a commitment to kicking the habit and staying sober, you can regain your life, relationships, and even your career. At The Detox Center of L.A., we know that treatment is most effective when done under an individualized plan.
We welcome each client with respect and compassion and do a complete medical assessment and evaluation (also called dual-diagnosis). This helps us to design a treatment plan that is ideal for you. The main goal of our professional team of therapists, counselors, and case managers is to help you beat addiction and return you to your home and community ready to take back control of your life.
We achieve this through our various programs which include family therapy, holistic therapy, and occupational skills training. Family therapy sessions are geared at getting loved ones to understand why addiction happened and their role in helping you stay sober after formal treatment ends. Give us a call today to find out more about our programs and admissions.
