ANDERSON

A ddiction specialist and interventionist Candy Finnigan jokes that once she is in front of someone struggling with addiction, she can probably get them to agree to treatment just to hear her shut up.

But through her decades of experience, she knows that approach doesn’t bring about lasting ecovery.

Her interventions focus on the family and the best ways they can support, and in some cases stop enabling, addicts during treatment.

Using family support and a holistic approach to recovery, which focuses on the spiritual, mental and physical, Finnigan has seen many clients overcome their addictions.

Finnigan, an author who regularly is featured on A&E’s “Intervention,” is scheduled to speak at Peace of Mind 2018, which takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at the CrossWalk Conference Center at Green Acres Baptist Church, 1607 Troup Highway. The event is hosted by Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas and is free and open to the public.

Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, a psychiatrist and author who is an expert on neuroplasticity and the neuroscience of habit, and a panel of local legal experts with knowledge of the challenges related to mental health, also will speak at the event.

Christopher Taylor, executive director of Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas, said he hopes attendees of the event will apply the information they hear at the event in their everyday lives.

This year’s theme is “There is Hope…We are Better Together,” and ties in with the different ways professionals like Finnigan and Schwartz are helping treat patients with mental health illnesses and addiction.

Tami Anderson, director of development at Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas, said many people have become addicts unintentionally after becoming dependent on some prescription medications. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has taped a special 5-minute message for the event where he addresses opioid addiction.

Finnigan hopes to convey the importance of not being afraid to seek professional help when facing mental health or addiction challenges, and highly recommends using resources such as Samaritan Counseling Center of East Texas.

She also has several stories about the ways mental health illnesses can intersect with addiction.

“Drugs and alcohol become your best friend because you can’t really explain to people how you feel before you come to a mental health worker,” she said. “…I know a lot of people who ended up being addicted, but they weren’t addicts.

“It has a whole lot of the same components as (mental illness) and you have to treat them the same way,” she said.

TWITTER: @TMT_Augusta

CLOSER LOOK

Questions about the conference can be sent to info@sccet.org. For more information or to register for the event, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/peace-ofmind-2018-tickets-46728830189.