Professionals and Addiction

Pilots and physicians have excellent recovery programs that take advantage of what  research has proven makes effective treatment. This is not the case for many other professions:  lawyers, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.

While addicted physicians and pilots do have some unique occupational traits, their programs have demonstrated that the application of research and treatment standards can lead to long-term positive outcomes. When looking for a drug and alcohol treatment program (even if you’re not an addicted lawyer or nurse), you should consider what has been successful in these programs:

1. provide consequences for termination of treatment or positive drug tests, which improves the outcome in addiction treatment.
2. frequent random drug testing (few outpatient programs include it at all, much less at the frequency it needs to be)
3. connection to abstinence-based 12-Step programs and fellowships
4. actively manage relapse by intensifying treatment and monitoring
5. sustained therapeutic contact over a long period of time improves outcomes (think months and years, not days and weeks)

If you’re interested in reading more, read “Setting the Standard for Recovery:  Physician’s Health Programs” DuPont and McLellan in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2009.

It doesn’t matter where you’re looking for rehab services:  Dallas/Ft. Worth, Frisco, Plano, anywhere in the U.S., make sure your questions for treatment include the above points because sober living is possible.