Reasons why your policy for recovering Alcoholic’s may be bad
First reason is simple, for most people who are new in recovery getting them to admit they are in recovery is a huge step. So now that they have, you are going to deny treatment to them, for being honest with you or worse you offer to give them the names of other Doctors in your field, this teaches the person to be dishonest to their next Doctor. When a person first gets sober they only trust a few people, one of them should be their medical Doctor.
Next reason is a little more complex, however if a person comes into your office, having been honest on all of the paper work, and they are looking for an excuse to drink. Your office not treating their pain will give them one. After all it’s not their fault you would not treat them, so they can justify drinking since It will relieve the pain they are in. When dealing with an alcoholic one must understand that the only person who keeps them sober is themselves. If a person is looking for an excuse to drink they will find one. Your office not treating them just gave them a way to justify drinking to kill the pain. If a person does not want to drink, no amount of pain medicine you give them will force them to start drinking. The reason that Alcoholics Anonymous is set up separate from Narcotics Anonymous is simple the type of people and the addiction are different from both groups. Of course the biggest reason that a person should be treated is because they are in pain. Agreeing to prescribe medication based on the person going to meetings and having a sponsor is so far off base it’s sad. Not everyone goes through A.A. to get sober nor do all sober people stay with A.A. once they have worked the 12 steps. The big book was designed to show a person how to live a normal life without alcohol. It was never intended to replace the alcohol. Sadly what meetings are now doing are becoming a “cult” like social club. I call it cult like because it expects and promotes people to go back out and pick up a drink. If you don’t believe me walk into a few of the rooms. You will hear phrases like keep coming back, I slipped, and glad I made it back into the rooms, etc… the list is endless, of the catch phrases.
Bottom line is no one can force a person in recovery to drink, granted if someone held a gun to my head, and said drink or die, I might have that drink. With that said for me to be treated by your office; I have to attend meetings? Violate one of the traditions of A.A. by forcing me to allow you to contact my sponsor which violates his anonymity. This is totally out of character of what I have come to expect from the Medical community. While I understand the need to protect your licenses, I fail to understand why a simple urine or blood sample would not be more in line with what you are trying to do. Which unless I am off base here is protecting your practice?
Patrick Budowski
Maryland
