CivilPsych Services

Individuals, Arkansas and Missouri

Drug and alcohol counseling

The substance is downstream. Use starts with what you believe it does for you: settles the nerves, earns the break, makes the evening bearable.

Written by Dr. Heath, Ph.D. Neuropsychology, Ph.D. Forensic Psychology. 40+ years of cognitive behavioral work. Reviewed November 2026.

Call (870) 219-6312 Text instead

What's really going on

What people say"He drinks because he's an alcoholic." That describes the drinking. It doesn't say what produces it.
What's usually happeningDrinking or using follows a value you have assigned to it. A craving is an open loop: the brain wants to be rid of the wanting, and using closes the loop for a while. Find the promise you think the bottle or the pill keeps, check whether it keeps it, and the value changes. People get very disciplined at unhealthy habits. The same discipline can run the other way once a better motive is behind it.

What you might notice

  • You use more, or more often, than you planned.
  • You tell yourself you have earned it, or need it to get through.
  • People close to you have started to say something.
  • You have tried to cut back and it didn't last.
  • It has cost you money, health, a relationship or your job.

How we work on it

The same method every time: find the thought, test it, practice a better one.

  1. Map the patternWhen, where, with whom, and what you tell yourself right before.
  2. Find the promiseWhat you believe the substance does for you.
  3. Test itDoes it keep that promise? What does it charge you for it?
  4. Motive, then movementA reason worth more than the substance, then a plan for the moments that used to end in a drink or a pill. Repeated, the plan turns into discipline.

Questions

Is this the same as a DOT SAP evaluation?

No. A SAP evaluation is a federal process for safety-sensitive workers after a violation. This is counseling you choose for yourself.

Do I have to quit completely?

We set the goal together, and we are honest about what the facts say about it.

What if I need detox or a higher level of care?

If you need medical care first, I will tell you and help you find it.

Next

Call (870) 219-6312 Other ways to reach me

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911.