BUTLER TWP — When speaking with people going through addiction, Steve Treu often will start by discussing Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity with them.

He said talking to them about physics first is better than starting with their personal situation, which could be demoralizing.

Additionally, the equation acts as a good metaphor for recovery and a person’s journey to finding happiness.

“If you look under a microscope close enough, we are not physical bodies, we are energy bodies,” Treu said. “It’s very relevant if you’re working with a person with dramatic grief because a loved one died in a traumatic way to help them understand that there are literally different dimensions to space and time.

“Spiritually speaking, we are these closed-loop vibrations.”

Treu is presenting lessons about neuroscience at Butler County Community College for a series aimed at people who work with those going through recovery. On Tuesday he led the second lesson in his Hope is Dope professional series, where he discussed understanding science can help people understand themselves and get through recovery.

Ken Clowes, Community Initiatives Center assistant at BC3, said Treu’s works helped him get through his own recovery from addiction. Treu’s book, “Hope is Dope,” explains that drugs activate parts of the brain, such as endorphins, so people can get similar effects in other ways.

“This class kind of teaches what those chemicals are, and things we can do in our daily lives to enhance those,” Clowes said. “That's the usefulness in recovery.”

During his presentation Tuesday, Treu explained that every human brain works in a similar way and showed a video explaining that people’s neurons light up in the same places when they think of the same thing.

He said by looking at the world differently, people can get high naturally, and showing people that good feelings are part of the brain can help them get to that point.

“Endorphins will always be the answer, but different paths to get there,” Treu said. “Hope, forgiveness, love is literally part of the brain.”

The last session is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the public safety building on BC3’s campus.

Treu said his series also is meant to help people connect with one another, because that, too, can activate endorphins.

“What I like to do is resonate with people, I like to meet them where they are at,“ Treu said. ”The view from the summit is beautiful, you’re not going to be able to do it unless you love your enemy. If you want to beat heroin addiction, you have to be forgiving, you better be patient.“