Doctors For Equal
Rights For Physical And Mental Pain
8409 Carlynn Dr.
Bethesda, MD
20817 alensalerian@gmail.com
dralensalerian.blogspot.com
Founding members Siobhan Reynolds Kevin Byers Vanessa Mullin Alen J Salerian
Founding members Siobhan Reynolds Kevin Byers Vanessa Mullin Alen J Salerian
How To Help People With Addiction In Abington
Virginia Or Anywhere Else
Alen J Salerian MD
March 6, 2015
Our treatment
success in addictions is not a proud chapter for modern psychiatry .
In
general there seems to be a very high relapse rate with equally high
noncompliance with treatment. Evidence shows people with addictions are
more likely to die prematurely with a significantly shortened life span.
.
Two
observations stare at us and deserve
further discussion. God and DSM.
God and moral values
are important but they don't lead our battles against diabetes or cancer.
Our
treatment of addictive disorders are God centric with morality and law guiding
treatment rather than science.
AA,
and NA are frequently prescribed by judges and local social agencies. Often
that's where the triage of initial therapeutic planning takes place.
This
seems odd . We don't take the same approach with victims of cancer or
diabetes.
There are no
mandatory group sessions recommended for people with diabetes or cancer. No
clinic or doctor would deny insulin or if a patient fails to fully comply with
her or his prescribed diet. It would be rare for a cancer patient to give
regular urine samples to ensure full compliance with treatment .And face instant discharge upon positive results.
The second problem
is DSM which fails to differentiate a disease from a disease complication.
99% of addictions are complications of various
brain disorders. This means successful treatment of any addiction demands
proper diagnosis of a primary psychiatric disorder.
I Most good clinicians realize this and take special
measures to incorporate an effective treatment that addresses the underlying condition.
Many excellent centers do the same.
It is true however that in general many addiction
centers are clueless about DSM's secret error. Especially in socioeconomically
challenged areas such as Southwest Virginia and West Virginia where millions
are victimized by public officials, often demonized in their own communities.
The approach in Southwest Virginia is once you are an addict you are always an
addict and you must act like an addict and follow strict standard guidelines of treatment. Or
face imprisonment or loss of your children. These are two stories from Abingdon
Virginia where a prosecutor Dennis Lee has been winning elections by his let us
kick ass approach.
The reality does not
change: 99% of people with
addictions often receive treatment that
may be counter therapeutic for their underlying psychiatric condition.
People with Early
Alzheimer's, concussional syndromes,
brain injuries, attention deficit disorder or social phobia get often victimized. What's worse the victims
get the blame for our collective failures.
These are simple and
fixable problems. We can solve them quickly if we have the courage to talk
about them.
