The “Reset Your Brain: Hope is Dope Initiative” course presented by the book's author Steve Treu and Butler County Community College is slated for another four-session run beginning Oct. 29.

The course will meet for four consecutive Mondays at the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, 127 S. Main St.

The free series provides education about the neuroscientific roots of opiate addiction and the importance of understanding the brain's endorphin connections in addiction, treatment and recovery.

“We are hopeful that through this educational experience, we can provide hope for those in recovery, their family, and friends,” said Tracy Hack, community leadership initiatives coordinator at BC3.

Treu of Cranberry Township is the author of “Hope is Dope” and a licensed professional counselor trained in mental health therapy.

“After working with thousands of people affected by opioid dependence over a decade, many of them asked me to write 'Hope is Dope,'” he said

Treu began addressing opioid dependence at a methadone clinic.

“Eventually, we decided to work with a few physicians who prescribe suboxone at our offices in Cranberry and Butler since that medicine is so effective in curbing use of opioids,” he said.

But Treu found out there was more to breaking the cycle than adding more chemicals to the body. He believes the answer lies with an understanding of brain chemistry.

“It doesn't take a neuroscientist to understand brain chemistry and, in fact, when a person in recovery truly grasps what is going on in their brains, they can see the solution for themselves,” said Treu.

He believes addiction is not a “free will” choice.

“It becomes a biological drive over time that is profoundly difficult to overcome without help. However, it is possible with the right focus in the right area. Most people who become addicted have a backstory that, if adequately recognized, would make their struggles much more understandable. No one chooses to become an addict,” Treu said.

“Our approach is that recovery is an opportunity for growth and should be considered a blessing in one's life. People learn so much through recovery that they can indeed end up healthier than they have ever been in body, mind and spirit,” he said.

Kenneth Clowes of Butler Township experienced Treu's methods first hand.

“Steve was my first counselor before he started Quantum Revolution Counseling and the 'Reset Your Brain: Hope is Dope Initiative.' Much of what Steve talks about in 'Hope is Dope' is the same material we discussed over a decade ago,” he said.

Clowes began to experiment with marijuana as a teen.

“I would occasionally venture off and try new things. One of those things was the narcotic painkiller Vicodin. My usage of painkillers was sporadic until OxyContin flooded the market,” he said.

It was not long before his usage became a daily need.

Once the pharmaceutical companies changed the formula to be less abuse-able and it became harder to attain, the vacuum for those already hooked was filled by heroin.

Clowes became addicted and sought help several times. “My addiction to opiates was not without occasional bouts of abstinence, 8 months here, a year there. I tried many methods of quitting before reaching a low and tying everything together,” said Clowes who will have been opiate free for four years this December.

“Honestly I think this information should become common knowledge across the nation because it gives vital insight into what happens inside the brain at the onset of, and during, addiction while also providing a practical approach to recovery,” Clowes added.

For Clowes, solving the opioid epidemic is more about prevention than recovery.

“Stopping addiction before it starts has to be the key. It's vitally important to educate youth about substance abuse in a way that is engaging so they understand the impact it has on their developing brains, and their life,” he said.

Hack said the Hope is Dope classes are for everyone.

Hack has her own personal ax to grind with opiate addiction.

She said, “So far during this 21st century, my daughter and 35-year-old son have lost numerous friends to drug addiction. Some of these friends had spent nights at my home.”

Hack's daughter began using heroin in the early 2000s. Her addiction made it a very lonely and devastating existence for the single mother.

Hack says she has lost relationships over her daughter's addiction. She sought the comfort of support groups but never found the answers until she connected with Treu's book.

“It was a life-altering reading experience, and when I reached out to the author, Steve, he agreed to meet with me and the rest is history,” said Hack.

She met with Treu and received guidance from community members who have been on the front lines of addiction, and BC3's opioid initiative was born.

The class is open to those in opioid recovery, family or friends of those who suffer from opioid addiction, support group personnel, treatment providers, educators or concerned community members.

WHO: Butler County Community College and Steve TreuWHAT: “Reset Your Brain: Hope is Dope Initiative” courseWHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 12 and 19WHERE: Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, 127 S. Main St., ButlerCOST: FreeREGISTRATION: www.bc3.edu/reset