Dr. Brad Lander on Addiction: Squirrel Logic

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Dr. Brad Lander was in town today to discuss how addiction changes the brain and how it becomes Squirrel Logic.

He started the day going to Genesis Hospital to talk to Doctors and healthcare providers and then made his way over to the Zanesville Fire Department to talk to First Responders. Steve Carrell, Chief Executive Officer for Muskingum Behavioral Health, said Lander helps everyone understand a different view of addiction.

“His basic message is people with addictions behavior is exactly that, it’s their behavior, you can’t expect anything other,” Carrell said. “You don’t walk up to a diabetic and say, “Just stop it. Just stop that disease. Stop eating.” You don’t do that.”

Carrell said it is like food and water, the brain needs it and can’t live without it. Dr. Lander discusses multiple experiments in his presentation and goes into great detail on addiction.

“This year we wanted to drive home, this is what addiction is. Now that we’ve talked about how it got here, the impact on the family, let’s talk about how these are human beings who have a disease. They have a treatable disease,” Carrell said.

The average person can not see the person who can get well. Carrell said the one thing we need to stop is the negative language and viewpoint on addicts. He wants everyone to have hope and to get involved.