|
Some patients try to manage substance abuse treatment on their own. However, substance abuse is often accompanied by denial (refusal to admit truth or reality), which causes patients to resist treatment even though they consistently abuse alcohol or drugs.
Some patients seek treatment only after friends, family members, coworkers or others have urged them to do so. This is sometimes accomplished through an intervention, an orchestrated attempt by friends and family members to convince a patient to seek help for addiction or similar problems. Other patients enter treatment only after it is ordered by a judge or other means.
Research indicates that men are more likely to enter substance abuse treatment than women. However, women who do receive substance abuse treatment achieve outcomes and success rates comparable to those of men.
Before treatment, patients will be given a clinical assessment by a physician or mental health professional to ensure that appropriate treatment is received. Some information that may be sought during an assessment includes:
-
Type and amount of substance(s) abused
-
Length of time patient has abused substance(s)
-
Effects of substance(s) on patient’s life
-
Medical history
-
Current medications (including pain medications)
-
Mental health issues
-
Family and social issues
-
Legal or financial problems
-
Educational background and needs
-
Current living situation
-
Employment history
-
Previous treatment experiences or attempts to quit using substance(s) After the assessment, a patient is assigned a team of professionals that may include physicians (e.g. psychiatrists), psychologists, nurses, social workers, or substance abuse counselors who devise an appropriate treatment plan, which may include problems to be addressed, treatment goals and methods for accomplishing treatment goals. | 
/doctor_89.jpg "ulcerative colitis tips")