A recovery treatment center will always have a staff full of specially qualified medical, psychiatric and therapeutic experts who provide patients with what they need to quit an addiction. These facilities take care to hire addiction specialists who have studied and worked in the field of addiction recovery for many years. People who have never worked in recovery or been through it themselves may not understand who an addiction specialist is and what they do.
An addiction specialist is essentially someone who has knowledge and expertise regarding addiction and the process of recovery from addiction. It could be someone who is a medical physician who specializes in addiction or a psychiatrists who mainly works with people in addiction recovery. These kinds of specialists have a deep understanding of how addiction works and how it affects the body and mind.
Those who become addiction specialists study all aspects of addiction including the causes, symptoms and the best techniques for recovery. They also spend years working one on one with people who struggle with addiction and witness first hand how individuals learn to become sober. An addiction specialist focuses their expertise on helping people change their behavior and improve their health so that they are able to remain permanently abstinent.
Addiction Specialist Study and Training
People who become addiction specialists usually hold a sub-specialty board certification in addiction medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine or a certification in addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. They may also have a Certificate of Added Qualification in Addiction Medicine if they have another area of expertise as well. Specialists obtain these certifications through extensive study and hands on experience that qualify them to work in addiction recovery.
An addiction specialist learns how to provide the kind of comprehensive care necessary to help someone who is struggling with an addiction. They will understand how to diagnose, treat and prevent substance abuse disorders depending on their area of expertise. Addiction psychiatry is an approved sub-specialty of psychiatry allowing practicing psychiatrists to provide care for people in rehab treatment facilities or those in recovery groups.
An addiction medicine physician is specially trained for a wide range of different aspects of recovery including prevention, evaluation, and treatment modalities. They may have special expertise in other areas such as treating addiction problems that are associated with a co-occurring mental health issue. They may be trained to diagnose and treat both mental health problems and addiction problems simultaneously.
The Role of an Addiction Specialist
The reason addiction specialists are necessary is because addiction itself is a very complex problem that requires specific knowledge and experience. A psychiatrist who has no training or who has never studied addiction may not be qualified to treat someone who is in recovery. It is crucial for a psychiatrist, therapist or physician involved in someone’s recovery to have a detailed understanding of how addiction develops and how it is treated.
An addiction specialist is there to help identify certain patterns of an addict’s behavior and recognize the barriers that they are experiencing in being able to quit. The specialist will have worked with many other types of addicts and have an intimate knowledge of how different people become addicted and how they react to recovery. Their job is to recognize specific issues and help the patient develop strategies and techniques that will help them stay sober permanently.
Someone who has had years of training and experience in addiction will have more compassion and empathy for patients who are attempting to recover. They know the difficulties and struggle that this person is going through as they try to change their behavior. An addiction specialist’s role is to be sympathetic while also giving them what they need to overcome their problems.
People who specialize in addiction recovery are part of a community of people who care about others and their well-being. Their priority is the safety and advancement of people who are in a very difficult place in their life. Essentially their goal is not only to save lives but to help people live the best possible version of their life.
Addiction recovery can be a challenging field to work in but it is also very rewarding for those who care about the outcome of every patient. Specialists in addiction treatment are looking for a chance to help people who have hit rock bottom and in many cases have lost everything. Their care and concern for patients allows them to treat every person and their individual needs.
Addiction specialists have a lot of training and experience but they also have a greater goal of helping others and being caregivers. People who struggle with addiction need specialists who can help them understand and recover from their condition successfully.
