WHAT IS ADDICTION MEDICINE?
Addiction Medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the treatment of addiction. The specialty often crosses into other areas since various aspects of addiction fall within the disciplines’ of public health, psychology, social work, psychiatry, and internal medicine, among others. Within the specialty, there are the processes of detoxification, rehabilitation, harm reduction, individual and group therapy, oversight of treatment facilities, for the treatment of withdraw related symptoms, acute intervention and long term therapies to reduce the likelihood of relapse.
Alcohol and other drugs of dependency are the main focus of addiction treatment. Obsessive and compulsive engagement in other behaviors such as gambling, shopping, sex, etc. also fall within the sphere of addictive disorders.