What Is An Addiction Psychiatrist?

Addiction can be a challenging struggle to overcome. When your brain is addicted to a substance or a bad habit, it can be difficult to retool your brain to get less pleasure from the substance or practice. It can be especially difficult to do so on your own. Luckily, there are professionals out there who can help, and one person who can help you is an addiction psychiatrist.

This may not be a type of psychiatrist you have heard of before. Keep reading to learn more about addiction psychiatrists and how one might benefit you if you're struggling with addiction.

What is addiction psychiatry?

Addiction psychiatry focuses on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating people who have an addiction. They treat addictions to drugs, gambling, and food, along with any other addiction where you lose control and have a tough time stopping behaviors. Here are some facts about addiction psychiatry.

They are experts on substance use

Everyone's brain reacts differently to a substance. One person can drink socially and not be addicted to alcohol, while another person takes one sip and suddenly, they're addicted. A psychiatrist understands how the brain reacts to substances and what health effects those substances can have. Your brain rewires itself so it sees the substance as a reward, and fixing that can be a challenge that an addict must face.

Addiction psychiatry is new but has advanced a lot

Addiction psychiatry has only been around since the early 1990s. It was created to add more subcategories to the world of psychiatry, and it became an official category in 1993. Since then, the world of addiction psychiatry has grown, with 13 programs in 1997 and 45 programs today.

Addiction psychiatrists are qualified

Psychiatrist specializing in addiction goes through many stages of education before they can start their career. First, they need to go to medical school and become a general psychiatrist. Afterward, they complete a psychiatric residency, which will provide practice with psychopharmacology, cognitive behavior therapy, and substance abuse. When the residency is complete, the future addiction psychiatrist will get licensed and board-certified. Finally, a year-long fellowship in the subspeciality of addiction psychiatry is necessary before one can officially enter the field. Although an addiction counselor can be amazing, they can't diagnose patients like licensed psychiatrists with all those years of study under their belt.

Psychiatrists look for underlying disorders

Sometimes, a person who is addicted may have more than one mental health problem. Someone who has other mental health disorders may be more prone to addiction, or their disorder may intensify because of the addiction. For example, addiction can make your depression worse. People who have an addiction and other mental health disorder are known to have a dual diagnosis.

Addiction psychiatrists are growing in number

Addiction continues to be a problem all over the world, and because of this, there is more demand for psychiatrists who specialize in addiction. There are now many programs available for those who wish to join this field and help those who struggle with addiction.

Addiction psychiatrists know that everyone is different

There is no singular way to treat someone who has an addiction. Everyone responds to treatments differently, and a psychiatrist must employ different tools to make sure the person who is addicted manages to succeed. Some people work well through talk therapy, while others may need medication and cognitive behavior therapy. A psychiatrist recognizes these differences and will employ all the tools necessary to make sure the patient recovers.

Addiction psychiatry may employ medicine to treat patients

Sometimes, someone with an addiction to medicine needs to be treated with other medicine. This medicine may treat the withdrawal effects that come from staying away from the substance, or it may treat an underlying psychiatric disorder. Either way, someone who has an addiction may benefit from medication, and a psychiatrist will make sure they don't become addicted to the meds that are provided.

Addiction psychiatry uses psychotherapy as well

Some people respond better to talk therapy or psychotherapy, which involves the client talking to the psychiatrist about their problems. A psychotherapy session might involve the patient using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to push negative thoughts out of their heads that enable addiction. Talk therapy can also help by identifying triggers that could cause a relapse. You might discover that the mere sight of alcohol can trigger your addiction, and you must avoid seeing alcohol altogether or learn how to cope if you see it.

Addiction psychiatrists get a full picture of the client

Sometimes, a psychiatrist may need complete information about a patient to treat them correctly. The psychiatrist will get the patient's medical history and learn about any mental health problems they may have. They will look into the patient's past treatment—if they have had any—to see what techniques have worked or failed. Once they have all the pertinent information, the psychiatrist will try to help by looking for solutions that can benefit the patient.

Psychiatrists may recommend different programs outside the office

A psychiatrist could recommend additional programs to help battle your addiction. This, along with addiction psychiatry, could help you out in your battle against addiction. These programs may include support groups or rehab.

A psychiatrist is patient

If you're recovering from an addiction, you may fail a few times while trying to recover. Relapses are common, especially when you don't know what your triggers are. A psychiatrist can help by being patient with you. They know recovery can be a long journey.

If you have a relapse, there is no shame in being honest with your psychiatrist and telling them what happened. Make sure you tell the psychiatrist all the events that led up to your relapse so they can help you find a clue or a reason as to why you relapsed.

Some facts about addiction

Before we go, here are some facts about addiction that may help you to better understand it.

Anyone can be addicted to anything

Our society has little sympathy for addicts. For many, an addict is someone who willingly abused a substance known to be addictive and is too weak to get off it. However, the truth is that anyone can become addicted to anything. As we said before, someone could become addicted to alcohol while moderately drinking. Some strong substances can become addictive after one use, and these include legal and illegal substances. A person can be addicted to prescription medication, too.

You don't even have to become addicted to a drug to have an addiction. Someone can be addicted to food, the internet, or theoretically anything else. This is why a person needs to seek help if they have an addiction they cannot control.

Positivity is key when treating addiction

Many people with addictions may not seek the help they need due to the stigma surrounding addiction. Someone with an addiction may try to keep their addiction a secret because they know they may be shamed or punished for it, and this is not fair. The truth is that many people with addictions need to have a positive experience in treatment and shouldn't be made to feel bad because they are addicted. Remember that addiction can be genetic, too, and no one can help it if that's the case, other than to seek treatment.

You're not alone

If you have an addiction, you are not alone. Over 46 million Americans battle substance abuse every year, and there is no shame in being a part of that 46 million. This count of 46 million includes everyone over the age of 12, so there are quite a few people from many different age groups who have experienced addiction. If you have an addiction, you don't need to worry about being the only one.

Support is available online

Addiction can be difficult to overcome, but there is hope. Talking to an addiction psychiatrist or a therapist can be much more effective than tackling the problem by yourself. By speaking to an addiction psychiatrist or a therapist, you may be able to live a healthier, more productive life.

Online therapy can be one way to seek out help, especially if you struggle with leaving the house. Online therapy can be done from the comfort of home. Many online therapy platforms have licensed therapists trained to work with those with all types of issues, including addiction.

BetterHelp is an online therapy platform able to connect you with a licensed therapist who can support you in your fight against addiction. You can connect via text, telephone, or video chat—whatever makes you most comfortable. BetterHelp is both convenient and affordable, as you can get support at any time for less than the cost of in-person therapy.

Takeaway

An addiction isn't an easy thing to live with. Help is out there—all you need to do is ask for it.