Jun 1, 2016
“In
the Doctor’s Office: Recovery Friend or Foe?” was presented on
May 31 2016; by Mark A. Weiner, MD; specialist in Internal Medicine
and Addiction Medicine; and Matthew Statman, LMSW, CAADC;
University of Michigan Collegiate Recovery Program Manager.
Addiction is widely recognized as a chronic illness best
treated with long-term monitoring and support. Primary health care
settings are natural places for this care to be provided, and
studies have demonstrated improved outcomes when people in recovery
receive regular health care delivered by recovery-proficient
providers. However, health care providers are often poorly equipped
to meet the needs of this population and iatrogenic relapse is not
uncommon. It's been said that the doctor's office is a dangerous
place for people in recovery from addiction. It's also been said
that recovering people are terrible patients. This program
discusses whether these statements are fair, and why healthcare
providers are essential allies for long term recovery. The program
provides a basic overview of the neurobiology of addiction and its
implications for health care consumers and providers, lists
specific concerns related to medications, describes ways in which
people in recovery from alcohol/other drug addiction can take
responsibility for their health and discusses how health care
providers can assist with sustaining recovery.
Dr. Mark Weiner is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and
Addiction Medicine, and he specializes in addiction medicine and
pain medicine in his practice with Pain Recovery Solutions in
Ypsilanti. He is the Section Chief of Addiction Medicine at
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor. He is active in the
American Society of Addiction Medicine and is Vice Chair of Dawn
Farm’s board of directors.
Matt Statman is a former Dawn Farm therapist. He is
the manager of the U of M Collegiate Recovery Program and
faculty advisor to the U of M Students for Recovery. He is also an
adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University School of Social
Work. Matt is also a Board Member of the Association of Recovery in
Higher Education.
This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE,
annual workshop series developed to provide accurate, helpful,
hopeful, practical, current information about chemical dependency,
recovery, family and related issues. The Education Series is
organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs
providing a continuum of chemical dependency services. For
information, please see http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series.