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Addiction Psychiatrist |
Career OverviewAn addiction psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in not only diagnosing but also treating patients with mental illness and addiction problems.
They use a complete range of treatment skills such as screening, evaluating and treatments dealing with substance abuse. Patients treated for addiction abuse, with treatment, show improved social functioning and better overall physical and psychological health.
Addiction psychiatrists are highly trained so they can provide the skilled consultation in disorders of addiction. They effectively deal with the psychiatric troubles of an addicted patient in the face of complex social, medical and family issues. When necessary, they practice the administrative skills necessary as member and leaders of treatment teams.
Some of the many addictions and substance abuse problems that an addiction psychiatrist deals with are:
- Illegal drugs such as cocaine addiction
- Alcohol abuse
- Drug addiction to medications
- Food and eating disorders
- Habitual/compulsive behaviors
- Substance abuse
Besides using medications addiction psychiatrists often use a broad variety of treatments with their patients including psychotherapy. They hospitalize some patients in order to properly diagnose and treat them.
Addiction psychiatrists normally work with a patient over an extended period, in order to treat them effectively, stop their addictions and behavior problems. Addiction psychiatrists are well trained and informed and are very sensitive to their patients needs.
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Career RequirementsThe formal education required for physicians and addiction psychiatrists is among the most rigorous of any profession. To become an addiction psychiatrist you must complete four years of undergraduate school followed by four years of medical school.
There is then four years of post-graduate education in psychiatry plus up to two additional years training in addiction psychiatry. There are a number of combined programs available in psychiatry, that allow for training requiring a shorter period of time, in which a physician completes two specialties.
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Job OutlookGrowing faster than average is the employment opportunities for physicians and surgeons. With this continued growth in the health care industry, it is expected that this expansion will continue through 2014. The American Psychiatric Association states that psychiatry is forth largest among the medical specialty groups.
Although there are approximately 45,000 psychiatrists, the number of medical graduates selecting addiction psychiatry is not enough to fill all of the job positions available. With the growing population and need for replacing surgeons and physicians retiring from 2006 to 2014, the demand for addiction psychiatrists continues to increase.
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Career TrackAs an addiction psychiatrist, there are many options in career choices and advancement. Many psychiatrists may start their careers working in large community hospitals but may choose to go into private practice, multi-specialty groups or university medical centers. Some may choose to enter into teaching at universities or colleges, consultants on research projects, go into careers in research, directors in addiction facilities or consultants within large institutions.
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CompensationHighly trained and skilled addiction psychiatrists provide extremely valuable services to people suffering with addiction problems. Their average salary varies depending on such factors as location and experience. For an addiction psychiatrist, his or her salary will range from approximately $182,200 annually to over $300,000.
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