Addiction Counseling
Addiction and substance abuse are serious issues. When you choose to begin controlling or moderating your use of drugs and alcohol, it is best to seek out a team of healthcare professionals that are trained to provide you with an effective treatment plan. An addiction psychiatrist works with patients to understand what led to their addictions and devise methods for recovery. Acknowledging that you need help is never easy, but it's one of the best things you can do for your life and for yourself. Finding the right addiction psychiatrist is just as important as making the decision to get help.
Psychiatrists Provide Addiction Counseling?
Addiction treatment is not solely provided by psychologists, therapists and drug and alcohol counselors. Many psychiatrists, who are physicians that specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatrist disorders, are dedicated to providing addiction treatment. Assisting during detoxification, when addicts are safely weaned off dangerous drugs or alcohol, psychiatrists use their medical expertise to monitor the brain's neurochemistry. Additionally, if substance abuse co-occurs with another psychiatric disorder, such as depression or anxiety, psychiatric consultation is generally one of the prescribed treatments.
What is Addiction Psychiatry?
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ASAM) provides formal certification in addiction psychiatry. Normally viewed as a sub-specialty, a psychiatrist who treats drug and alcohol addiction receives all the proper training necessary to assist during addiction recovery. Addiction psychiatrists may treat any number of conditions, including alcoholism, drug abuse, sex addition and gambling.
When a psychiatrist begins treating a person who suffers from drug or alcohol addiction, the first step is to look at medical history and determine when the early signs of trouble began to appear. Working with patients to determine the reasons for the development of an addiction, medication may be prescribed to control withdrawal symptoms or treat an underlying or co-existing psychiatric condition. If using a Buffalo psychiatrist Addiction Counseling option, a safe and supportive environment will be provided when battling an addiction.
How to Find an Addiction Psychiatrist?
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 21.5 million American adults battled a substance abuse disorder in 2014. Almost 80 percent of those battling a substance abuse disorder struggled with alcohol abuse. A serious health issue, care must be taken when choosing an addiction psychiatrist. A psychiatrist who performs addiction counseling must renew their license every 10 years and confirm certification of addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ASAM). If seeking a Buffalo psychiatrist Addiction Counseling, battling an addiction must be met with a qualified and certified professional.
If you choose to go with a general psychiatrist, make sure they have experience working with addiction. Addiction psychiatrists can treat patients in a private practice or at a hospital. Addiction centers also often have trained psychiatrists as part of their team. If you suffer from a specific addiction, it may be more helpful to seek out a long-term psychiatrist with a sub-specialty based around your addiction. Requiring expertise and experience, addiction psychiatrists can be found in many different settings. Working to diagnose co-occurring psychiatric disorders, as well as a full treatment plan, recovery from addiction benefits from psychiatry.
A devastating condition, addiction and substance abuse requires medical care and expertise. Offering a thorough approach to addiction treatment, including co-occurring psychiatric disorders, addiction psychiatrists are trained to assist anyone battling an addiction. Experienced and certified, an addiction psychiatrist will work to design an addiction treatment plan that meets your individual needs and requirements.