Addiction Psychiatrist - Why See a Psychiatrist for Addiction?

Page Clinically Reviewed on 12 December 20233 December 2024 by Dr Peter McCann MBBS, MSc, MRCPsych Dr Peter McCann, MBBS, MSc, MRCPsych, is the Medical Director of Castle Craig. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist, specialising in addictions with experience of treatment both in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Psychiatrists Provide Essential Treatment for Addiction

Addiction is a complex but treatable condition, one that is difficult to overcome due to multiple factors. The role of the psychiatrist in substance use disorder is to assess, diagnose and provide treatment – particularly when there are other mental health issues to take into account.

All patients who come to Castle Craig for our drug detoxification and addiction treatment programme will have their case assessed by a psychiatrist, either before they are admitted, or during their detoxification.

What is a Psychiatrist?

Psychiatrists are qualified medical doctors who have used post-graduate training to specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders and mental health disorders. So psychiatrists have the best specialist knowledge of mental health possible, over any other medical discipline.

Typically a psychiatrist spends most of their time treating outpatients, but their most unwell patients sometimes become inpatients, so in addition to their outpatient practice, most private psychiatrists are also attached to a hospital or a clinic where they may admit patients under their own care.

What is an Addiction Psychiatrist?

Addiction psychiatry is a sub-speciality within psychiatry and includes all substance misuse disorders and behavioural addictions. Only 5-10% of psychiatrists have a specialist qualification and training in addiction treatment, and they are usually highly knowledgeable about all forms of addiction treatment as well as being qualified in general adult psychiatry.

What Do Addiction Psychiatrists Do?

The main work of an addiction psychiatrist is to assess patients on a one-to-one basis and to determine the reasons for the development of their drug or alcohol addiction. A psychiatrist will also be involved with the multidisciplinary team and be responsible for diagnoses of underlying or co-existing mental health or psychiatric disorders; decisions around the addiction treatment plan; and prescribing of medications. Psychiatrists are also qualified in psychotherapy and may sometimes conduct therapy sessions with patients.

Why Do I Need to See a Psychiatrist for Drug or Alcohol Dependency?

There are many reasons to book a consultation with an addiction psychiatrist as an outpatient or at an inpatient addiction treatment centre:

To get a proper medical diagnosis of substance dependency or dual diagnosis.
To receive drug or alcohol detox in a medically managed environment.
To identify and diagnose conditions that predispose to addiction, such as bipolar disorder or depression, ADHD, anxiety, phobias, eating disorders or chronic pain syndromes.
To receive prescriptions of medication for mental health issues.
To assess risk or psychiatric vulnerability or safeguarding concerns.
For legal reasons owing to problems related to their condition.
To get medical approval from an insurance company that pays for their treatment.

Why Does Castle Craig have a Full-Time Psychiatrist?

Most drug and alcohol rehabs have access to a psychiatrist on at least a part-time or consultancy basis. Any psychiatrists involved in a patient’s care should be working as part of the multi-disciplinary team, who plan the medical, psychological and social care of the addicted patient and their family in a discreet, professional, and safe way.

At Castle Craig, our Medical Director, Dr Peter McCann, MBBS, MSc, MRCPsych, is a Consultant Psychiatrist with a speciality in addiction. Dr McCann leads our medical programme and our multidisciplinary team. He has an overview of all patients at Castle Craig and is able to assess, treat and prescribe for any mental health issues that occur alongside the addiction such as ADHD, anxiety, and depression.

Medically Managed Detox

At Castle Craig our psychiatrists play a major role during the detoxification stage of addiction treatment so that our treatment is medically-managed. Because the side effects of drug and alcohol withdrawal affect the body physically as well as the brain’s neurochemistry, the medical expertise of psychiatrists is necessary for safe detox.

Why do many rehabs not employ a psychiatrist?

Many rehab facilities across the UK wish to offer cheap and fast addiction programmes and costs may be cut on medical staffing. UK guidelines do not explicitly require a psychiatrist to be part of every addiction treatment care plan, but at Castle Craig we believe this is a vital part of dual diagnosis treatment and successful treatment outcomes.

Addiction psychiatrists are experts on dual diagnosis – substance misuse and mental health

Many people we treat at Castle Craig suffer from dual diagnosis – mental health issues alongside their addiction, which means a psychiatrist plays an integral part in providing an accurate diagnosis, which will identify the most suitable therapies for your condition, whether it be anxiety, stress, depression, trauma or grief. Here at Castle Craig, our psychiatrists will examine your history of substance misuse and mental health problems and talk to you about any other mental health issues you are facing in order to reach a diagnosis. If dual diagnosis is not treated then it is far more likely that someone with substance dependency will relapse after they leave rehab.

Learn more about drug rehab and alcohol rehab.