Discovering Hope: Understanding Addictions
An addiction is a dependence on a behavior or substance that a person is powerless to stop. Without the substance or addictive behavior, the addict soon becomes incapable of “normal” behavior or human interaction.
Substance abuse and its related problems are some of our society’s most pervasive health and social concerns. Teens often use alcohol and other substances to self medicate depression, anxiety and ADHD. About 40 percent of teens who start drinking by age 14 develop alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.
Adult addiction not only results in health risks, it also has a direct impact on an individual’s ability to parent effectively and to obtain and retain employment. Older adult addiction is associated with poor health outcomes, increased disability and impairment, compromised quality of life, and higher rates of suicide. Addiction is a health condition that can be prevented and treated effectively.
This year’s panelists and discussion groups will address the varied nature of addiction, its different causes and treatment. The conference will feature nationally recognized experts on addiction who have studied and treated the many aspects of the problem. The 2010 Conference promises to be a most enjoyable and informative event.
Speakers at the conference will included:
Sheldon I. Miller, M.D., is a nationally recognized addiction expert and editor of the American Journal on Addictions. Dr. Miller previously was the Lizzy Gilman Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Northwestern Medical School; President of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and Director of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is a member of the Addictions Program faculty at Governors State University. He is an international speaker in the addictions field whose presentations have reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and the Caribbean. He is the author of several books and articles and in 2003 received the Professional of the Year Award for his work as a trainer and consultant in the addictions field in Illinois.
Kathleen Kane-Willis serves as interim Director of Roosevelt University’s Institute for Metropolitan Affairs and directs the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy which she founded in 2005. Ms. Kane-Willis has been in recovery for heroin addiction for 17 years and frequently speaks about her personal experiences with substance use and recovery. Her reports on drug use and policies have been featured on front page articles in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily Herald and other publications across the Midwest
Inetta Schuetz is a chaplain and pastoral counselor who has worked extensively in the addictions field. She is scheduled to receive a dual degree in 2010, Masters of Divinity from the Garrett Theological Seminary and a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University. She is an active member of the North Suburban Evangelical Free Church of America and its overall ministry leader for the addictions group.
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