Alcoholism is a when drinking becomes the biggest priority in your life. It could be every day or a binge on the weekends. Social, work or school obligations fall to the wayside to make room for the pursuit of the alcohol. One way to think about it is that the reward system for your brain has been rewired to find that alcohol more pleasurable than anything else in your life. Breaking that endless loop can be challenging. Underlying mood, anxiety and impulse control issues can all contribute to the maintenance of the addiction. Treatment focuses on addressing any underlying conditions, controlling impulsivity, and decreasing the pleasure derived from the addiction. Medication and behavioral interventions are key in the recovery process.
With alcoholism, the first step is detoxing. Unlike other addictions, stopping alcohol abruptly can be life threatening in some cases. That is why this process is typically performed on an inpatient setting. Other people can opt for a nurse to help facility the process in the privacy of your home. After you have passed through this danger zone, you are ready for outpatient treatment.
Naltrexone is a great medication that decreases the euphoric effects of alcohol. There are other options, like antabuse, that serve as a deterrent to use, where drinking will make you feel ill. In addition to the alcohol specific medications, it is important to have other underlying mood, anxiety or impulse disorders also treated. That effort is combined with intensive behavioral treatment to help modify your actions and motivations around alcohol.
After your initial detox phase, we will be able have follow-up visits using telemedicine. I also know that you might make mistakes along the way. That is an expected part of the process. My team and I will be here to offer you the help and support you need on the road to not just recovery, but to optimal health.
Alcoholism is treatable. There are many great medications and behavioral programs available today that are very effective at addressing your condition. There are additional aspects of your treatment that I can integrate into your care in an effort to give you the best outcome. My goal is to make the best treatment options accessible to you. Make an appointment today to take a step towards greater health.
Coders
How many psychiatrist have spent years coding in C++ and understand why you would want to put your Python scripts in a Docker container running Django. If you are a coder dealing with mood, anxiety, attention deficit or substance abuse then I am the psychiatrist for you. The coding background is an added plus in my ability to understand the challenges you might be facing in your job or coursework.
When it comes to your mental health, the first thing you should know is that it is not all in your head. There is a tendency to think that mental health issues are purely with the brain, losing sight of the fact it is connected to a body. There are medical conditions that can present with psychiatric symptoms. You want to check for those factors and not just focus on the head.
When I take you on as a patient, I will do a comprehensive review of your psychiatric and medical history. This information will lay the groundwork of my hypothesis of your clinical state. The next step would be to perform lab work. We will start with the tests covered by most plans. We will also start with standard treatments. First phase done.
Second phase starts with seeing how you are feeling and reviewing the data obtained thus far. If the picture is clear, and you are doing well, we stay the course. If there are still persistent issues or symptoms, this is where additional testing is useful. We can do a deep dive into multiple aspects of your condition that could be impacting your mental status. This work is typical not covered by your insurance plan, but I consider it to be a good return on the investment in your health. Further adjustments to your treatment plan are made with this information.
Finally, the third phase is where we assess how things are going. Are you feeling better? Are the interventions showing improvements on repeat evaluations? Here we decide on continuing or adjusting the course of your current treatment.
Mood, Anxiety, Attention Deficit and Addiction are all treatable. There are many great medications available today that are very effective at addressing your symptoms. There are additional aspects of your treatment that I can integrate into your care in an effort to give you the best outcome. My goal is to make the best treatment options accessible to you. Make an appointment today to take a step towards greater health.
