Medical Professionals
Are you getting frequent patient requests for medical excuses from work due to headaches or "stress"?
Many sick leave polices require a doctor’s excuse contributing to the 500 million workdays lost annually at a cost of $81 billion. Repeated requests may be a sign that your patient has a problem with alcohol or drugs.
Is your male patient engaging in social activities, like excessive drinking, that are compromising treatment of his medical condition?
Many medical conditions can be exacerbated by heavy alcohol/drug use or abuse. If treatment of a patient's condition such as hypertension or diabetes is not progressing as it should, you may want to ask the patient about his alcohol/drug use.
Can you help a patient you suspect may have a drinking/drug problem & denies it?
Addiction is defined as something one cannot stop despite the presence/evidence of negative consequences. Often individuals will not agree to a period of abstinence to find out if drinking is a problem. When denial is this strong, there is little anyone else can do. Asking your patient to answer a self-assessment questionnaire may help break denial. Until your patient sees there is a problem, it is best to maintain a nonjudgmental attitude.
How helpful are the new medications for alcohol and drug dependency?
Clients with a chronic relapse history may benefit from medication to reduce cravings while in treatment and for a short period thereafter. Our clinical director may recommend that an admitting client receive an evaluation from our Medical Director, a board certified member of the California Association of Addiction Medicine. He is also available for doctor to doctor consults.
If your patient is interested in finding out if he has a problem, what’s a next step?
Many find help right away through participation in Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar 12-step program. Others, however, need the structure, support, and education they and their family receive in a treatment program. Referring your patient to an addiction treatment center for a free, confidential assessment is a sound next step.