9781422282496

13 CHAPTER ONE: WHAT IS ADDICTION MEDICINE?

MYTHS AND MISPERCEPTIONS

MEDICINE AND TREATMENT SYSTEMS Rehab is a small part of what is known as the addiction medicine system . Addiction medicine is a medical specialty that deals with addictions to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or negative habits like gambling or using the Internet too much. What’s unique about addiction medicine is that professionals from all kinds of backgrounds are involved, from physicians and psychiatrists to social workers and counselors. The ways that all these different specialists collaborate to help people who struggle with addiction form what is called an addiction treatment system . Treatment systems cover a large range of treatment options—from a basic, one-on-one therapy session between a patient and a counselor to a full-blown detoxification process where medication is needed. Treatment systems extend beyond just the patient’s addiction. They may include services to help him or her find housing or a job, square away financial affairs, treat mental health disorders like depression or anxiety, or address physical health diseases that can accompany drug use, such as HIV-AIDS or hepatitis . Movies and celebrity rehab stories have created a lot of false perceptions about addiction treatment. One is that people’s lives must be a total mess before entering rehab. In reality, people can and do seek help at all stages of addiction. Another myth is that rehab is a guaranteed cure for addiction, as if just checking into a facility is a sure sign that someone is on the road to recovery. In fact, rehab never really “ends,” the cravings that lead people to addiction never go away, and recovering addicts must work every day to avoid a relapse.

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