Treating The Addicted Physician Twenty Years of Experience

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Treating The Addicted PhysicianTwenty Years of
Experience

• Dr. HR Vedelago, MSc., MD, CCFP, FCFP, ASAM
• Addiction Division
• Homewood Health Centre
• Guelph, Ontario, Canada

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Outline

• Our perceptions
• Addiction as a disease
• Addicted physician as patient
• Treatment program
• Concluding remarks

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Our Perceptions

• Family of origin significant percentage of
  physicians from families with
  addiction
• Limited knowledge and training in addiction

Persons addicted to morphia are inveterate liars
and no reliance whatever can be placed upon their
statements. Sir William Osler
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Addiction as a Disease

• Abuse - a time specific behaviour
• Dependence normal physiological response to
  an external substance
• Addiction genetically-mediated permanent
  change of brain circuitry

The system of refusing the mere act of drinking
and leaving the desire in full force is
unintelligent war tactics, it seems to me -
Mark Twain
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Physician Patient

• Dedicated to work Addicted to
  work
• Intelligent
  Arrogant
• Independent Strong
  willed
• Privileged
  Entitlement
• Ethical
  Shame

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Treatment Program

• Assessment and stabilization
• Group therapy
• Health Professionals Group
• Caduceus
• 12 Step Facilitation
• Out-patient relapse prevention program
• PHP

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Concluding Remarks

• Addiction is a disease
• Our perceptions influence treatment
• Addicted physicians are unique patients
• Efficacious treatment exists

We........are more than one hundred men and
women who have recovered from a seemingly
hopeless state of mind and body Bill Wilson