Take, for example, a young doctor I watched fall into its clutches. Like most college students, he experimented with alcohol. When his post-college experimentation expanded to cocaine and opioids, his judgment left him, but his false confidence — fueled by his training in neurophysiology — did not. As he moved into medical school and then residency, he found himself caught between a drive to acquire the skills of his profession and the incessant hunger of his illness.
But with addiction, the end result is quite predictable. His accelerating substance use disorder caused him to lose himself, his job, and eventually his freedom. He would have lost his medical license, too, if he had not received a sustained tapering course of addiction care and ongoing support by family, friends, and others on the same journey of recovery. The result of proper treatment was nothing short of a miracle. This physician found a life filled with joy and an amazing new medical specialty, treating others who have been diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD).
But I didn’t see that man in my office. I saw him in the mirror. My story underscores the fact that recovery is possible — if the right treatment and support is provided at the right times.
Source: MedPage Today
Read more at: https://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/addictions/82477
