Holistic Healing for Addiction

Meet the Charge Nurses of Harbor Village

Meet our lovely Edda Riveros, one of the Charge Nurses who runs and manages the detox and rehabilitation sides of treatment here at Harbor Village. Edda, along with Liset Cruz and Eny Torres work under the direction of Yanio Brunely to seamlessly orchestrate the entire department.

Edda actively interviews prospective nurses, and helps process doctor orders for patients quickly. Enjoying the fast paced environment of nursing life, Riveros comments,

"Nursing is never the same- it is never the same. You go in there think you are going to get everything done, but you get none of it done. The client is your priority- if the client needs attention, the paperwork is pushed aside- and done eventually."

"I love it."

Earning her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Florida International University, Riveros' first love was in the delivery room, but she has quickly become endeared to addiction medicine, and helping people recover from substance use disorders:

"I got asked on the [rehabilitation] side by a client 'Why do you want to work with a bunch of junkies?'

And I'm like, 'I love you guys. I enjoy it.' It is amazing to see how clients progress during treatment and their sobriety- their behavior, physical changes, their entire demeanor changes. They gain weight, they look healthy."

During the course of both the detoxification and rehabilitation process, Edda lovingly affirms she becomes emotionally invested in the wellbeing of her patients' emotional and physical wellbeing. "You get attached in detox. . .the change from the day they come in to the next day, day five, day seven- the changes in character are incredible."

Harbor Village's commitment to long term sobriety is solidified with the medical therapy offered for rehabilitation patients, who are not prescribed maintenance therapy, and never come into contact with narcotic based medications.

"[Patients] may have a little bit of withdrawal, but it is manageable. On the treatment side we focus on anxiety, depression, the PTSD. Our doctors meet with them during rehabilitation to tweak the dosage of any medications necessary."

Every week Riveros helps set up appointments for clients to see local healthcare providers, like dentists and specialists, because oftentimes those in the middle of chronic substance use disorders, forget to maintain their current medical conditions or develop new ones.

"We help our patients follow up, so they are not only being treated for their mental health, but also for their physical wellbeing. We take clients to appointments. That does not happen in detox, but in rehabilitation."

"I think a lot of them missed out a lot on their childhood, love, affection, something that has been robbed from their youth- so they need someone who is caring. Our nurses are good, but we bring a lot of that as charge nurses- we are very involved."

Riveros assures those hesitant about getting treatment for addiction the disease can strike anyone, despite a lack of physical disposition to the disease. "No one fits the mold of addiction . . . hereditary factors are not always the end."

"It is progressive. 'I like to have a glass of wine with dinner,' and all of a sudden you are having two, you are having three- so there is not a mold, there is not a specific reason why anyone becomes an addict."

"[Your] comfort level is being intoxicated, unfortunately, so anything where [you] are not intoxicated is going to be scary and difficult. But if not, recovery will never happen. You have to step out of your comfort zone to get clean- to feel some of the withdrawals. Otherwise- you may think 'Why not use again?'"