It is an unfortunate truth that many Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and these habits can be highly destructive. Many of these drugs are in fact prescription painkillers that are being abused for a high, and the consequences are very real. American adults and even adolescents are abusing these drugs, and every day, new teenagers or adults are trying them out too and developing addictions. The good news is that someone addicted to these drugs has a lot of medical help that they can turn to, and rehab detox centers are available to help them kick this habit. Detox doctors and other staff at these rehab detox center can oversee the procedure to make it safe and effective, and afterwards, the patient may seek rehab with therapists, counselors, and support groups. Meanwhile, family practice doctors may be sought out for an entire family of clients, and these flexible doctors can do a lot of good for patients both young and old.

Fighting a Drug Addiction

Statistics are being kept to see how often Americans are developing drug addictions across the nation and the numbers show that adults and adolescents alike are abusing prescription drugs, sometimes with lethal results. As of 2015, some 20.5 million Americans had a substance abuse problem of one sort or another, and two million of those people were using prescription painkillers and 591,000 were using heroin. Often, heroin addictions begin as abuse of prescription, legal pain relief drugs, and such addictions can get out of control. In fact, these drugs are known to impact all aspects of the abuser’s life, from their finances to their work and their relationships and even their survival. Overdosing on drugs is the number one cause of accidental death in the United States, and even adolescents may become fatalities. Heroin and opioids in particular are known for causing these deaths.

An addict may experience and intervention for their habit, and if the addict agrees, they will start getting clean. This includes visiting rehab detox centers to safely remove the drugs from their system, and at rehab detox centers, they may spend a few days under medical supervision. It is potentially dangerous for drug addicts to attempt detox alone at home, since they may suffer life-threatening complications or may at least relapse during that time. Instead, addicts should have supervision during this time, and withdrawal symptoms are to be expected. The symptoms will vary, but after some time, the drugs have cleared from the addict’s system and they may move on to therapy and counseling for rehab. This can help solidify the patient’s will and reshape their entire lifestyle, independent of drugs.

Finding a Family Doctor

Meanwhile, ordinary Americans often visit a private doctor for consultations and getting diagnoses of medical issues. A family doctor, in particular, may appeal to some clients, and as the name suggests, such doctors can have entire families as their patients. These are flexible doctors who can treat patients young and old, and they can diagnose a number of health issues in patients both young and old. This allows them to to refer their patients to specialists, such as for hearing issues, strep throat, vision problems, heart issues, and more.

An interested client could look online for family doctors if they don’t already have a reference from another doctor or a friend. Looking online, the client may use searches in their area such as “good family doctors Los Angeles CA” or use their ZIP code to find local family doctor practices. Once the client gets a list of names, they can visit those clinics with interested family members in tow.

Adults may consult the staff at these clinics and evaluate their experience, patient reviews, credentials, and more, as well as evaluate their personality. Children may come along for the visit, and while kids won’t ask the doctors for their credentials, kids may find out if they are comfortable and relaxed at a certain clinic and around the doctors there. A frightened or uncomfortable or uncooperative child won’t do well as a patient there, so such a clinic may be crossed off the list. The prospective clients may also check if their health insurance policies are accepted at a given clinic, and this too may influence their decision.