Alcoholic
Family physicians were told that they should learn to recognize the symptoms of alcoholic or drug-addicted patients, and be willing to offer them treatment, in hopes of deterring the addiction before it consumes the patient. One in six patients that a primary-care physician will see has an addiction problem, and doctors should use clues, such as patients who are noncompliant, have foggy memories or who have frequent bruises or sprains, to spot alcoholics or addicts, a treatment expert advised during the American Academy of Family Physicians annual scientific assembly. Doctors can consult Alcoholics Anonymous for advice on supporting addicted patients through their recovery, he added. He advised against prescribing antidepressants or other drugs to help the patient recover.