Thursday, January 14, 2010

Addiction Medicine Becomes Recognized

A newly formed Board of Addiction Medicine now certifies physicians who treat patients hooked on legal and illegal drugs, including nicotine and alcohol. Previously, such treatment was done in inpatient centers by psychiatrists. Primary care physicians are beginning to diagnose and treat patients with these difficult problems. Some claim that a family doc will see at least 1-2 patients every day with addictions, but often these are not recognized. The Board emphasizes added drugs to quiet the addiction, but there are many more natural therapies that can be effective. We use acupuncture and the use of specific amino acids to rebalance neurotransmitters. These can be very effective for someone who seeks help.

See Family Practice News,(click here) Sept. 1, 2009, p. 1.

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