Saying the “like minded docs” are not ASAM is like saying the “tea party” is not part of the GOP.
Mission
- “Support the education of physicians and the public regarding the importance of psychosocial and spiritual interventions for the treatment of all persons with substance use disorders.
- Encourage the judicious use of Twelve Step recovery modalities for the treatment of substance use disorders.
- Encourage ABAM Fellowship training programs to require sufficient experience in the use of psychosocial, spiritual and Twelve Step interventions and to include test questions to discern a Fellows knowledge base regarding these aspects.
- Continue to provide presentations that support the philosophy of “Like Minded Docs” to ASAM, treatment providers, public, judicial and political arenas.
- Support the current ASAM Twelve Step Action Group.
- Support all activities that raise the consciousness regarding the importance of psychosocial and spiritual interventions.
- Promote further studies into the biological, social, psychological and spiritual aspects of recovery.
- Maintain the “high road” and not disparage alternative forms of treatment, but rather to promote those aspects…
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Disrupted Physician 
I live with chronic pain. I have been taking Opiates since 1999. The initial dosages were extremely high, I chose to reduce them, gradually with my doctor’s supervision. I am now on minimum dosages and my doctors are forcing me to quit using them. I have had very little withdrawal symptoms. I have supplemented with steroids, ibuprofen, acetaminophen and sodium-noproxen. My gut is constantly on-fire as a result.
The reasoning for quitting opiates is, “we don’t know the long-term effects of opiate use in the elderly.” I am 56 years old. I have no problems using marijuana but they won’t allow me to and remain my doctors. Finding docs who take Medicare is a bitch… 😦
Do you know anything about this “unknown effects” stuff?
Cathy the Bagg Lady
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The “unknown effects” response is just a deflection. The ASAM has been behind the push to get hydrocodone (vicodin, Lortab, etc.) scheduled in the same category as oxycodone and morphine to make it more difficult to prescribe. They do not want anyone who does not have cancer to be taking opiates (and some of them do not even want cancer patients taking opiates–I know one doctor who would only prescribe tylenol and ibuprofen to patients with cancer! The ASAM does not believe anyone should be on long-term opiates as it does not fit with their 12-step paradigm. They are working on multiple fronts (political, public policy, regulatory agencies, “education,” etc.) to accomplish this. Some of them even believe chronic pain is a “spiritual” malady that can be cured by taking a fearless moral inventory. It is true insanity.
http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/aaam_implications-for-opioid-addiction-treatment_final
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You know I thought it was crap. The same as not prescribing Ativan type meds to patients. As a retired LVN we were taught to believe that if a person wasn’t agitated the other medications for pain worked much better. I get so angry with this attitude.
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