Addictions & Treatment 

Substance misuse

Doctors and dentists who have an opiate or other addiction can, if needed, be offered pharmacologically supported detoxification.

The detoxification process can either be carried out in the community or during an inpatient stay with one of our PHS preferred providers. We can even in some circumstances offer you a home – detoxification alongside supervised support at Riverside Medical Centre.

Following detoxification you will be encouraged to rapidly engage with the British Sick Doctors and Dentists or equivalent abstinence oriented support group as well as attend PHS for regular reviews and/or cognitive behaviour therapy.

Other Addictions

In addition to patients presenting with alcohol or drug addictions (legal or illegal), there a number of patients who have behavioural addictions such as internet pornography and gambling, gaming or spending too much time on their phone/ the internet. If you feel that any of your behaviours may constitute an addiction, please do not hesitate to contact Practitioner Health and get in touch with us.

Doctors and dentists who develop addictions face a unique set of challenges when it comes to presenting with their addiction and overcoming it. Healthcare professionals face difficulty in knowing who to turn to and often have limited access to confidential and supportive care. Many professionals experience negative attitudes from colleagues in relation to addiction and therefore feel ashamed and are more likely to cover up their difficulties. This leads to isolation, contributing to later presentation. Doctors and dentists with addictions often feel they have no one to relate to – they may not identify as an addict until well into a process of recovery. However, once on a treatment pathway, addicted doctors have very good outcomes in comparison with non-medical addicted patients.

Low mood and suicidality is closely related to addiction behaviours, therefore meaning that patients may not be able to begin to receive treatment for depression until they address their addiction.)

Treatment for addiction 

PHS has the ability to admit patients to an inpatient rehabilitation and detox programme. This is a 6 week admission and we have a couple of different sites across the country that offer this intervention. If you think this might be appropriate for you it is something that could be discussed in your initial assessment or in your case management sessions. In almost all cases, your presenting problem will be dealt with by your lead clinician. Your lead clinician may want to have some brief input from some other members of the team who might have a more specialist interest in that area but your lead clinician will remain constant throughout your care at PHS.

Interventions that can be used for addictions include general support, guidance, working towards abstinence and in some cases interventions such as substitute prescribing.

Support for healthcare workers with addictions download leaflet here

Residential treatment clinics 

Clouds House, also known simply as Clouds, treat all forms of addiction including: alcohol, drugs (prescribed and non-prescribed), gambling, gaming, sex and love (including pornography), and some food related disorders.

For more information please visit the website here 

Bayberry clinic offers an exceptional choice of tranquil, residential recovery centres - treating alcohol addiction in Solihull, West Midlands and surrounding rural locations. The treatment is provided within luxurious and discreet surroundings.

For more information please visit the website here