How do psychiatrists specializing in addictions work?

These are the functions of psychiatric physicians specially trained in treating addictions.

Addictions are complex diseases that require the involvement of health professionals.

Among them is the figure of the psychiatrist, who has the theoretical and practical knowledge to offer concrete solutions to people with this kind of pathology.

Through their work, they are able to intervene both in the functioning of the organism at the biomedical level and in the behavioral patterns of the person at the psychological level, in order to leave behind that dependence that damages their health and their personal relationships. It is for this reason that the teams specialized in the treatment of addictions have psychiatrists who are experts in this kind of disorders.. But... how do they work?

What are the main functions of psychiatrists specializing in addictions?

This is a summary of the functions performed by psychiatrists trained and specialized in the care of patients with addiction problems.

1. Assessment of signs and symptoms

Addictions are, literally, health problems, with all that implies. Therefore, one of the main tasks of psychiatrists specialized in the field of addictions is to perform medical evaluations in which they take note of the signs and symptoms through which this kind of pathologies are reflected in the patient's day-to-day life.

In addition, it is usual to request the performance of complementary tests to better understand the possible organic causes of the problem suffered by the person; this is a process that the professional is in charge of by contacting the corresponding person through the pre-established channels. Among these tests are the analysis of substances present in the person's body, neuroimaging tests, etc.

2. Study of contextual factors associated with possible addiction

The vital context of the person, made up of elements such as his or her family environment or workplace, is a very important factor in understanding what is happening to him or her. Both the personal relationships in which he/she is habitually involved and the spaces to which the patient is exposed can be both a cause and a consequence of his/her health problem.hile addictions are pathologies, this does not mean that their scope is restricted to what happens inside the person's body..

For this reason, both psychologists and psychiatrists specialized in addictions analyze the aspects of the patient's daily life that may be acting as triggers for consumption, those links that are becoming more and more damaged by the symptoms that are reflected in their behavior, etc. All this in order to have a global vision of their source of discomfort.

3. Make an assessment of the state of health and the degree of well-being of the person.

Beyond knowing the possible organic causes of the patient's problem, it is important to assess the degree to which what is affecting him or her has been taking its toll on his or her health. This will have implications for the priorities to be taken into account. when applying a treatment, and will be used to establish the degree of urgency with which to intervene on symptoms to avoid short-term damage.

4. Making a diagnosis

This is one of the most important functions of psychiatrists specializing in patients with addictions, since at this point it becomes "official" whether the person is indeed suffering from an addiction, what type of addiction it is, and whether he or she has other pathologies (it is very common for those suffering from this type of disorder to also have psychological disorders of an anxious or mood type). In the case of having developed another disorder, an estimate is also made as to whether the cause is related to the addiction..

5. Treatment planning

The therapeutic intervention plan is always personalized; that is, psychiatrists take into account the clinical "labels" used to refer to the disorder presented by the patient, but they also take into account the unique characteristics of each person. also take into account the unique characteristics of each personThe psychiatrists also take into account the unique characteristics of each person: particularities of their lifestyle, allergies, possible parallel use of psychoactive substances, etc.

6. Execution of the treatment

The therapy goes through different phases. In the case of drug addictions, at the beginning there is a detoxification phase in which the person is helped to stop the substance from circulating in his or her organism, giving him or her support in the face of the withdrawal syndrome. In addition, depending on the type of substance he/she was using, he/she is made to follow the necessary guidelines so that the withdrawal of the drug does not endanger his/her health (in some cases the cessation of consumption cannot be abrupt, since his/her nervous system has become accustomed to functioning with it).

In the later stages of therapy the person is helped to deal with the emotional cognitive phenomena that can trigger a relapseThe therapy is also designed to help the person to deal with the emotional cognitive phenomena that can trigger a relapse: thoughts that lead to temptation, habits that lead him/her to expose him/herself to those who spend a good part of their time consuming, search for new sources of gratification, anxiety management, etc.

7. Follow-up

When the patient has already gone through the most difficult part and has managed to reach a good level of autonomy without resorting to what caused the addiction, follow-up sessions are offered. These meetings serve both to solve problems and to prevent relapses and to obtain an overall picture of the progress made, contributing to self-motivation and advocacy for a healthy lifestyle.They contribute to self-motivation and advocacy for that healthy lifestyle.

Are you seeking treatment for addictions?

If you think you have developed an addiction problem, it is important to see health professionals as soon as possible. At CITA Clinics we specialize in the treatment of addictions and the pathologies associated with them, and our team has been dedicated to this area of patient intervention for decades.

Our psychiatrists and psychologists offer coverage for all phases of treatment, and we also have facilities adapted for short, medium and long term admissions: we have a fully equipped residential module located in a place where nature and calm prevail, close to the city of Barcelona.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
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• Kalivas, P.W.; Volkow, N.D. (2005). The neural basis of addiction: a pathology of motivation and choice. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 162(8): pp. 1403 - 1413.
• Moonat, S; Pandey, SC (2012). Stress, epigenetics, and alcoholism. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 34 (4): pp. 495 - 505.
• Nutt, D.J.; King, L.A.; Phillips, L.D. (2010). Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis. The Lancet, 376(9752): pp. 1558 - 1565.
• Semple, D. (2005): Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Volkow, N.D.; Fowler J.S.; Wang, G.J.; Swanson J.M.; Telang, F. (2007). Dopamine in drug abuse and addiction: results of imaging studies and treatment implications. Arch. Neurol. 64(11): pp. 1575 - 1579.