Local Doctors Learn Ways To Prevent Different Drug Addictions
COLLINGSWOOD, N.J. (CBS) - Doctors in New Jersey got some help Wednesday night identifying and helping patients addicted to opiates.
During the seminar Doctor Joseph Ranieri with the Seabrook House -- a drug and alcohol treatment center in New Jersey -- talked about different things physicians should look out for when they are prescribing medicine to minimize their patients risks of becoming dependant on different drugs.
"Some risk factors include previous trauma, whether it's sexual trauma, PTSD, other emotional issues and mental health issues including depression, anxiety, panic disorder, previous history of substance abuse," said Doctor Ranieri.
He says a key factor in helping keep patients from becoming addicted to street drugs is physicians developing exit strategies from their prescriptions:
"Unfortunately physicians are just stopping prescribing medications and what's happening is those patients are then going through withdrawal and them some of them are looking for alternative sources to stop their withdrawal which may be heroin."
Doctor Ranieri says he hopes the information being given to medical practitioners helps break down the stigma surrounding addiction.
