Addiction Medicine; Natural Treatment
Excel In Addiction Medicine Specialty
Addiction medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the treatment of addiction. The specialty often crosses over into other areas, since various aspects of addiction fall within the fields of public health, psychology, social work, mental health counseling, psychiatry, and internal medicine, among others. Amalgamated within the specialty are the processes of detoxification, rehabilitation, harm reduction, abstinence-based treatment, separate and group therapies, oversight of halfway houses, management of withdrawal-related symptoms, acute intervention, and long term therapies designed to reduce likelihood of relapse . Some specialists, primarily those who also have expertise in family medicine or internal medicine, also provide treatment for disease states commonly associated with substance use, such as hepatitis and HIV infection.
Physicians specializing in the field are in general agreement concerning applicability of treatment to those with addiction to drugs, such as alcohol and heroin, and often also to gambling, which has similar characteristics and has been well described in the scientific literature. There is less contract concerning definition or treatment of other so-called addictive behavior such as sexual addiction and internet addiction, such performances not being marked generally by physiologic tolerance or withdrawal.
Doctors concentrating on addiction medicine are medical authorities who focus on addictive disease and have had special study and training focusing on the prevention and treatment of such diseases. There are two routes to specialization in the addiction field: one via a psychiatric pathway and one via other fields of medicine. The new frontier Society of Addiction Medicine notes that approximately a percentage of its members are psychiatrists while the remainder have received medical training in other fields.
Studies have found that, despite the prevalence of addiction, the enormity of its consequences, the availability of effective clarifications and the evidence that addiction is a disease, both screening and early intervention for risky substance use are rare, and only about 1 in 10 people with addiction involving alcohol or drugs other than nicotine receive any form of treatment.
Of those who do receive treatment, few receive anything that approximates evidence-based care. This compares with seventy% to eighty% of people with such diseases as high blood pressure and diabetes who do receive treatment. This report exposes the fact that most medical professionals who should be providing addiction action are not sufficiently trained to diagnose or treat the disease, and most of those providing addiction care are not medical professionals and are not equipped with the knowledge, skills or credentials necessary to provide the full range of effective treatments
The time has come for addiction medicine to be fully integrated into health care systems and medical practice. Health care providers, especially physicians, are our front line in disease prevention and treatment. They must understand the risk factors for addiction, screen for risky substance use and intervene when needed, and diagnose, treat and manage addiction just as they do all other diseases.
The Treatment Options for Addiction.

Addiction Medicine
The first step for the addicted individual is to acknowledge that there is a substance dependency problem addiction problem. The next step is to get help. In most of the world there are several support groups and expert services available. Treatment options for habit depend on several factors, including what type of substance it is and how it affects the patients. Typically, treatment includes a combination of inpatient and outpatient programs, counseling, psychotherapy, self-help groups, pairing with individual sponsors, and medication.
- Treatment programs – these typically focus on getting sober and preventing relapses. Individual, group and/or family sessions may form part of the program. Depending on the level of addiction, patient behaviors, and type of material this may be in outpatient or residential settings.
- Analysis – there may be one-to-one (one-on-one) or family sessions with a specialist.
Help with coping with cravings, avoiding the substance, and dealing with possible relapses are key to effective addiction programs. If the patient’s family can become complicated there is a better probability of positive outcomes.
- Support groups – these may help the patient meet other people with the same problem, which often boosts motivation. Self-help groups can be a useful source of education and information too. Examples comprise Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. For those dependent on nicotine, ask your doctor or nurse for information on local self-help groups.
- Help by withdrawal symptoms – the main aim is usually to get the addictive substance out of the patient’s body as quickly as possible. Sometimes the addict is given gradually reduced dosages (tapering). In some cases a substitute matter is given. Depending on what the person is addicted to, as well as some other factors, the doctor may recommend treatment either as an outpatient or inpatient.
The doctor or addiction expert may recommend either an outpatient or inpatient residential treatment center. Withdrawal treatment options vary and depend mainly on what substance the individual is addicted to:
- Addiction to depressants – these may include dependence on barbiturates or benzodiazepines. During withdrawal the patient may experience anxiety insomnia, sweating and restlessness. In rare cases there may be whole-body tremors, seizures, hallucinations, hypertension (high blood pressure), accelerated heart rate and fever. In severe cases there may be delirium, which according to the Mayo Clinic, USA, could be life-threatening.
- Addiction to stimulants – these may include cocaine and other amphetamines. During withdrawal the patient may experience tiredness, depression, anxiety, moodiness, low enthusiasm, sleep disturbances, and low concentration. Treatment focuses on providing support, unless the depression is severe, in which case a medication may be prescribed.
- Addiction to opioids – Opioids are a class of drugs that are commonly prescribed for their analgesics or pain killing, properties. They include substances such as morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and methadone.
The addiction medicine physician is a key member of the health care team at New Frontiers in Medicine Academy are trained to coordinate and provide consultation services for other physicians and to use community resources when appropriate. Some addiction medicine physicians limit their practice to patients with addiction or other patterns of unhealthy substance use for the wellbeing of human affected.
Excel In Addiction Medicine Specialty



