What does an addiction medicine doctor do?
Addiction medicine doctors are specialists in treating addiction and substance-related problems. These doctors can diagnose, treat, and prevent problems related to addiction. Problems that an addiction medicine doctor may treat include:
- Tobacco use disorder
- Alcohol use disorder
- Opioid use disorder
Treatment options may include:
- Support groups
- Outpatient treatment
- Inpatient treatment
- Continued care
- Medical stabilization
- Substance withdrawal management
- Medication management
Is an addiction specialist a doctor?
An addiction specialist is a medical doctor that has received additional training and certification to care for patients' addiction or substance use disorders. Treatment options may include prescriptions to treat withdrawal symptoms and avoid relapse.
How do you specialize in addiction?
Physicians who specialize in addiction must hold an unrestricted license to practice medicine. Doctors must first be certified in another specialty. Then there are several pathways to completing certification in the subspecialty. These include:
- A minimum of 1920 hours spent in the practice of addiction medicine
- Completion of the addiction medicine subspecialty certification examination
- Completion of an addiction medicine fellowship program
You’ll find addiction medicine doctors working in offices, health clinics, hospitals, addiction treatment centers, and educational and research settings.
When did addiction medicine become a specialty?
Addiction medicine became formally recognized by the American Medical Association as a subspecialty in 1990. Then in 2016, The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognized addiction medicine as a medical subspecialty under the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
What is the difference between addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry?
Both addiction medicine doctors and addiction psychiatrists treat patients with substance use disorders. Addiction psychiatrists use psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological techniques in the management of their patients. This certification is only open to board-certified psychiatrists. Addiction medicine is available in any primary specialty, including psychiatry. Both specialists agree that a multidisciplinary approach to treatment is often needed. This might include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Group therapy
- Medications
- Individual psychotherapy
- 12-step programs
How does addiction develop in the brain?
The development of addiction is a complex process. Addiction occurs when cravings for the substance develop, then loss of control over its use happens, and finally continuing to use the substance despite adverse consequences. Addiction results from changes in brain structure and function. Initially, the brain's pleasure center is triggered. Repeated exposure to the substance that triggers dopamine and the pleasure center causes the individual to continue to seek the source of pleasure. Over-time tolerance causes the need for more and more of the substance to result in the same pleasure. Compulsively seeking the substance and cravings for it are created.
