From personal Struggle to Leading Recovery: โขDr. Teitelbaum‘s โJourney and the Expanded UF recovery Center
Dr. David Teitelbaum, the โcurrent director of theโข University of Florida’s (UF) Recovery Center, has dedicated his life โto helping others overcome addiction, a path forged through his own personal battle with substance use. He has maintained sobriety for 29 years,a milestone reached afterโ entering a treatment program in the 1990s.
Teitelbaum’s journey wasn’t without significant consequences. His medical license in Connecticut was revoked in 1996, a decision he recalls being driven by preventative concern โฃfrom a state medical board member who stated they wouldn’t wait for a patient to be harmed before taking action. While his license was later reinstated, the loss profoundly impacted his life, โcosting him his family, โฃprofession, and โother vital relationships.
“Anyone who suffers from addiction usually has to โขhit rock bottom โขbeforeโ recognizing they are not living the lifeโข they โฃtruly wantโ to live,” Teitelbaum explained.”No matter โคwhat the โsubstance is,at โฃthe end of the day,people use anyโข substance to change the way theyโ feel in that moment.”
The UF Recovery center, where Teitelbaum โnow leads, has a history dating back โขto 1998, when it โfirst opened nearโ Williston Road on Southwest 13th Street โunder the direction of Dr. Mark Gold. Recently, UF Health celebrated the โฃopening of a new, expanded five-acre campus โoff Northwest 39th Avenue in Gainesville onโ July โค16, 2024, following a groundbreakingโข in May โคof the same year.
The new facility significantly increases the โcenter’s capacity,growing from 80 โto โค124 patient beds,offered in both single-โค and double-occupancy rooms. A 47,600-square-foot building provides residential, therapeutic,โค and recreational space, complete with a swimming pool, gym, outdoor recreation area, and โpickleball court.
An existing 18,700-square-foot administrative โขbuilding houses offices offering a range of services,including addiction evaluations,individual and group therapy,lectures,and outpatient care.
Teitelbaum focuses on evaluating and treating “safety sensitive professionals” – individuals in roles requiring a high degree of public trust, such as doctors, judges, police officers, teachers, and pharmacists – from across the country. However, he emphasizes that the center welcomesโข individuals from all backgrounds facingโ behavioral health issues, substance use disorders, and addiction.
The UF Recovery Center uniquely positions itself as โคthe only treatment center affiliated with an โacademic institutionโฃ in the nation.
Teitelbaum notes the complexities of โtreating โaddiction, particularly with substances like opioids, marijuana, and cocaine. โข Alcoholism, he stated, remains the most prevalent addiction treated at the center and is the leading cause of death related to addiction.
“Everybody’s โขgot a story, weโ all have a story of where we came from and of how we became who we are,” Teitelbaum saeid. “We treat โฃa lot of people that share in common that their lives have been drastically influencedโข in a negative โฃway by โtheir use of substances,but they often will have co-occurring issues like trauma,depression,anxiety and medical issues.”
Driven by hisโ own experience โand a commitment to healing,Teitelbaum expressed his โฃhope that the UF Recovery Center will continue to be โa source of encouragement andโ support for generationsโ to come.
