Just because doctors are doctors doesn’t mean that they live the healthiest of lifestyles. Just because lawyers are lawyers doesn’t mean that they will live according to the dictates of the law. Drug addiction and alcohol abuse can lead to health and legal problems for people of all professions.
Significant numbers of doctors, dentists, nurses, and other medical professional struggle with alcohol abuse and drug addiction. According to the Harvard Health Blog, around ten percent of all doctors develop drug or alcohol problems.
The number of people actually seeking treatment for drug or alcohol abuse is low. According to the U.S. Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services Administration, only about 18% of people who need substance use disorder treatment actually seek such treatment. So, if ten out of 100 doctors are struggling with drugs or alcohol problems, 18% of those ten doctors will seek help. That means that only one or two doctors out of the initial 100 will actually attend treatment to address these problems, even though all ten may have needed such treatment.
These numbers are terrifying, given that these doctors make decisions and perform actions that can have life-or-death consequences. Using a drug or alcohol could hinder their ability to think clearly or do things effectively. They could slow their reactions times so that even if they make the right decisions or perform the right actions, they could be too late to effectively help their patients.
Alcohol and drug abuse is so widespread, we see depictions of it in popular culture. The title characters of the television programs Nurse Jackie and House were both medical professionals with drug problems. Their drug habits wreak havoc on several aspects of their lives.
These depictions aren’t new. An older television program (and movie), M*A*S*H, depicted how medical professionals in the military used drinking alcohol and other pastimes to unwind from the stress of their duties. While the characters in M*A*S*H didn’t seem to experience the severe problems that House and Nurse Jackie experienced, they still seemed to use alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Real-life doctors, nurses, and dentists (and people from other professions) all use alcohol and drugs to cope with anxiety, depression, and other conditions. But becoming hooked on these substances can intensify these conditions, so using substances is not the deal fix for these situations (or any situations, really).
Medical professionals help others. If these professionals are addicted to substances, other professionals can help them.
