Nowadays, addiction to alcohol, drugs, or chemical substances is a common thing. People are not even thinking about the psychological and physical harm it does to the body. Individuals take these substances so much that they start affecting their day-to-day lives. People who are addicted to these substances feel changes in their brains. The changes mainly happen in the areas that affect memory, behavior, decision-making, and judgment.
Drug abuse or substance use disorder is a critical condition. To treat this, you need to have psychiatric treatment from an addiction psychiatrist. Addiction psychiatry provides treatment to patients by identifying their mental condition. In addition, psychiatrists also find the health effects that the patient has from the addiction. It helps them to provide proper treatment.
Let’s take a deeper dive to understand briefly “What is addiction psychiatry?” and “Why do you need addiction treatment’?. Read further!
What Is Addiction Psychiatry?
Addiction psychiatry’s main aim is to treat individuals suffering from addiction issues. Moreover, they also treat people suffering from co-occurring psychiatric disorders. These patients are known as dual-diagnosis patients. The psychiatrists treat a wide variety of patients of all ages with different conditions. Each addiction case is different from another. The psychiatrists recognize these individuals based on many factors. For instance, usually, substance abuse happens to those facing mood disorders and other social stress.
Addiction psychiatry uses medicine, psychotherapy, or professional therapeutic interaction to treat individuals. However, not every type of substance addiction needs medication for treatment. In addition, for better understanding, psychiatrists gather patients’ medical history and mental health concerns.
What Does Addiction Psychiatry Do?
Addiction psychiatrists are physicians. They are specialists in all types of potential effects of addiction that happens to the brain and body, as many addicted individuals experience mental illness at the same time. Addiction psychiatrists should have good knowledge about the field of psychiatry.
Addiction psychiatrists are experts in the areas of prevention, recovery, identification, and more!
What Do Addiction Psychiatrists do in their day-to-day practice:
- Counsel the patients
- Review and update the patient records
- Create individual care plans/recovery. Plus, the prescription and administration of medication
- Doing laboratory and diagnostic tests.
- Does group therapy
- Build an understanding with the patient’s family
- Does research
Importance Of Addiction Psychiatry
Similar to other types of treatment of psychiatric disorders, clinal intervention for substance use disorders is beneficial. It provides the patients with happier and more productive lives.
Even the data shows that treatment for addiction leads to less substance use. It also leads to better physical and psychological health and improves social functioning. Moreover, the cost-offset data analyses show that addiction treatment provides long-term economic benefits.
How Can A Psychiatrist Help To Treat Addiction?
An addiction psychiatrist plays an important role in treating addiction. Addiction has a negative effect on an individual’s brain, which is why it is important to have someone who can help you get out of the situation.
Addiction psychiatrists will analyze your health, unique needs, and medical history. With this information, they decide what type of treatment they have to provide to an individual. They will help you know why you choose certain substances and provide knowledge and tools. These will help you cope with physical, social, environmental, and psychological symptoms. Moreover, they will help you to cope with the co-existing mental health issues with your addiction.
In addition, as a part of treatment, an addiction psychiatrist may recommend medications for both substance use and health disorders. For instance, there are certain types of antidepressants that help to treat cravings for alcohol, drugs, or depression.
Also Read: What Is Addiction? How Can A Psychiatrist Help With Drug Addiction?
Diagnosis And Addiction Treatment
Treatment for addiction helps to lessen the chance of relapsing in the future and also manages addictive behaviors. Each patient can have an individual care plan, which makes sure that each patient’s needs are fulfilled.
For diagnosis, first, the licensed treater will gather information about your substance use and learn in which way it is affecting your life. Moreover, they may also ask you about other factors like your family and personal and medical history. Additionally, they will also check for any co-existing mental health issues. Involvement of family and honesty is important in this treatment process to get an accurate diagnosis.
Before you take the treatment, you should research the best healthcare provider as you are looking for someone who can understand your condition in the best possible way.
When Do You Need To Visit An Addiction Psychiatrist?
When someone is suffering from any kind of addiction, whether it be drug or substance use, an addiction psychiatrist is the right person! The addiction psychiatrist understands the condition of the patient and tries to deal with their behavior. Moreover, they create a recovery plan for you and deal with your emotional issues that may worsen your condition. If you are looking for the same, iCare psychiatry is your ideal destination.
Conclusion
Addiction is a common problem across the country. Individuals suffer from addiction due to various reasons like opioids, drugs, and alcohol. The results of substance abuse can be intolerable for those who are facing it. Moreover, it will also impact a person’s mental and physical well-being. Even the addiction effects can last for a lifetime.
If you or your loved ones are facing the same problem, it is best that you seek help from an addiction psychiatrist. Addiction psychiatrists are experts in diagnosing and treating individuals suffering from addiction. The professionals’ treatments may include medication, psychotherapy, and other successful methods.
Do you need help in battling against addiction? You can consider booking an appointment with Rubabetu Abimbola, PMHNP-BC, at iCare Psychiatry Services. Known to have helped many suffering from addiction and other health issues, Rubabetu Abimbola is someone who is loved and respected by her patients for the results she delivers.