ASAM Level 1 classes are designed according to the ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) criteria for addiction Counseling. Specifically, ASAM Level 1 classes provide individuals with a supportive and instructive environment where they are encouraged to develop deeper insights into the causes and conditions, as well as the effects, of their addictive and abusive behaviors. It is well understood in the medical and scientific communities that substance abuse is associated with more fundamental or rudimentary cognitive deficits. Some of these deeper issues may be deficits in emotional regulation, diagnosable affective disorders, or a consequence of a myriad of other socio-cultural, environmental, and/or genetic factors. 350