What We Can Learn from Addicted Doctors

Medical doctors who become addicted to drugs or alcohol receive the same treatment as non-medical doctors when they enter recovery. Yet as a recent story from the Washington Post explains, they’re much more likely to stay sober without relapse.“For doctors to remain sober after they return to high-stress jobs with easy access to controlled substances, there has to be a big payoff,” says Christine Vestal, author of the story. “For physicians, the reward is huge — keeping a medical license that cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of their lives to obtain.”Think of “payoffs” as someone’s purpose or big why for doing something. As the article highlights, having a purpose is key to helping people obtain long-term recovery. It cites a 2009 survey of close to 40 program directors that showed nearly 80 percent of doctors remained sober without relapse throughout the five-year program. Seventy percent continued to practice medicine.This raises an important question; how does an addict come to recognize that the pain of continued drug use is greater than the pain of change – recovery and sobriety?At Feinberg Consulting, we are committed to shining a light on the bright future that’s possible for active addicts and their families. We know the path to sobriety and long-term recovery, and our team supports active addicts and their families with the right kind of support at the right times so that sobriety becomes obtainable.Every day we receive more proof that recovery is possible. It’s never too soon to help yourself or a loved one who is dealing with an addiction. The sooner he or she can clearly see the benefits of recovery, the sooner sobriety will be achieved.Contact us to learn how we can support you.