4 Things Every Healthcare Professional Should Know about Drug Abuse

Since substance abuse affects the physical, the mental, and the social well-being of an individual, several healthcare professionals, namely the physicians, the psychiatrists, the therapists, and the emergency-medicine professionals, are on the frontline of diagnosing and managing drug abuse disorders. With the increasing incidence and changing nature of substance abuse, it is crucial that these professionals keep themselves updated about all that's happening in this field.

All healthcare professionals must be aware of the following four points related to substance abuse, enabling them to help patients overcome their addiction.

1. Healthcare Professionals Have a Collaborative Role to Play in Substance Abuse Disorder Management

A thorough diagnosis and management of drug abuse patients require assessment by multiple addiction experts, namely the physician, the psychiatrist, the psychologist, and the therapist. This is because individuals undergoing treatment for drug abuse are also affected by other health conditions and mental disorders.

The physician assesses the general health and performs drug tests to establish the levels of illicit substances within the patient's' body, whereas the other three professionals specialize in mental health. All these healthcare professionals must work together and use their skills and experience to prevent, screen, intervene, and treat patients with substance use and addiction disorders.

2. Cross Addiction Is Fairly Uncommon

More often than not, physicians defer or avoid prescribing medications that are absolutely necessary but have the potential for abuse in patients with substance abuse disorders. For instance, patients recovering from alcohol abuse and suffering from anxiety or panic disorders are denied or taken off benzodiazepines for the fear that they may be addicted to these drugs. Similarly, patients requiring opioid-based pain management strategies are denied the treatment, often leaving them in agony.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that nearly nine million American adults (aged 12 and older) suffer from both a substance use disorder (SUD) and a physical and psychological health disorder of some type. Moreover, several studies have shown that cross-addiction, where a patient stops abusing a drug and gets habituated to another seldom occurs.

Thus, a medical professional is expected to listen to his/her patients' complaints with respect to their health and avoid assuming that these grievances are signs of a drug-seeking behavior. Furthermore, when managing allied health issues, the practitioner can choose a drug with less risk for abuse. For instance, drug abuse patients with anxiety disorders can be prescribed clonazepam instead of other benzodiazepines as it is less habit forming.

3. Healthcare Practitioners Must Be Ready With a Relapse Management Strategy

Though drug rehabilitation is effective in the management of addiction, it cannot completely cure this disorder. Research shared by the National Institute of Drug Abuse has shown that substance abuse relapse rates can be as high as 60 percent. Recovery from drug abuse is a lifelong process that demands several lifestyle changes and management of the associated health issues and situational factors that can lead to the relapse.

Healthcare practitioners play a critical role in creating a relapse management strategy. They must address substance abuse by offering the necessary interventions, referring patients to substance abuse treatment, conducting ongoing drug testing and follow-up, and working with the therapist to manage critical cases in order to help the patients recover and prevent the chances of relapse. For instance, medical professionals conduct drug screening programs using instant drug test kits during the monthly and annual routine checkups. These tests help them assess the severity of the illicit drug use and prescribe a possible treatment regimen.

Most addiction centers are aware of these medications, yet do not prescribe them. Medical practitioners can easily fill this gap by being aware of and prescribing the anti-relapse medications to overcome alcohol and drug abuse. For instance, naltrexone and disulfiram can be prescribed for the treatment of alcohol abuse. Similarly, buprenorphine, an opioid partial agonist, is extremely effective in treating opioid abuse and addiction.

4. Confrontation Strategies Do Not Work in Drug Abuse Management

Originally practiced within peer-based communities, confrontational strategies and lecturing soon extended to authority-based medical set-ups and rehabilitation centers. Confrontational approaches are designed to make drug abuse patients feel scared, ashamed, or humiliated, with the assumption that such experiences are curative. However, research has shown little evidence for a therapeutic benefit of such approaches in substance abuse patients. In fact, they are potentially harmful and professionally inappropriate.

Medical professionals must work in collaboration with counselors to motivate the patient in order to find new ways to manage their mental state of mind, control the triggers, and work towards a drug-free future. They must approach patients with sensitivity, understanding, and honesty and pay careful attention to their body language and tone of voice. This empathic and patient-centric approach respects the patients' capacity and the natural desire to grow in a positive direction.

Healthcare professionals have a significant part to play in the management of substance abuse disorders. Consequently, they must be aware of the above-mentioned facts about substance abuse, enabling them to screen and manage such cases and reduce the risk of relapse.