"Physician, don't heal thyself" The impaired physician in treatment
In recent surveys, physicians are being asked about their colleagues and how they would respond if a physician they knew was addicted to alcohol or drugs and their judgment was impaired. Surprisingly, only 65% of the physicians responded said they would report a colleague to the state medical board or hospital administration.
No one wants to imagine that their physician's judgment may be impaired by drugs or alcohol. However, the disease of addiction cuts across all professions, ages, socio-economic classes, races, sexual identities and religious affiliations. Doctors have an advantage and a disadvantage, most people assume that their doctor is healthy and is not addicted to substances or processes. The socialization of physicians as "the elite" and their training experiences, do not lend itself to immediate acknowledgement of their disease and seeking help.
There are committees in each state medical boards that work with Doctors needing treatment and monitoring secondary to an addiction problem. A physician often is required by the board to seek treatment and begin a process of accountability. Their recovery is important not only for themselves, but for all the patients whose lives depend on their sound analytical skills and judgment. Of course, when you are in the throws of your addiction, most cognitive abilities are not performing well.
The physician needs to seek out a residential program that is both respectful to her or him and also provides the difficult challenge to get through the active phase of using and begin to practice recovery in a holistic and integrative manner. A physician should not be treated any differently than another addict, but their resistances and barriers may be different and may require certain therapeutic interventions to assist them in their early phase of recovery.
If you, or someone you know is struggling with addiction. Please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery specialists.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Author Unknown
Recuperatio Primoris,
Bill Heran, PhD
No one wants to imagine that their physician's judgment may be impaired by drugs or alcohol. However, the disease of addiction cuts across all professions, ages, socio-economic classes, races, sexual identities and religious affiliations. Doctors have an advantage and a disadvantage, most people assume that their doctor is healthy and is not addicted to substances or processes. The socialization of physicians as "the elite" and their training experiences, do not lend itself to immediate acknowledgement of their disease and seeking help.
There are committees in each state medical boards that work with Doctors needing treatment and monitoring secondary to an addiction problem. A physician often is required by the board to seek treatment and begin a process of accountability. Their recovery is important not only for themselves, but for all the patients whose lives depend on their sound analytical skills and judgment. Of course, when you are in the throws of your addiction, most cognitive abilities are not performing well.
The physician needs to seek out a residential program that is both respectful to her or him and also provides the difficult challenge to get through the active phase of using and begin to practice recovery in a holistic and integrative manner. A physician should not be treated any differently than another addict, but their resistances and barriers may be different and may require certain therapeutic interventions to assist them in their early phase of recovery.
If you, or someone you know is struggling with addiction. Please call our 24-Hour HelpLine at (866) 478-9898 and speak with one of our recovery specialists.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Author Unknown
Recuperatio Primoris,
Bill Heran, PhD
Labels: best alcohol rehab, best drug rehab centers, exculsive drug rehab, executive drug treatment program, executive rehab, private drug rehab
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