Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Evaluation
An evaluation can be helpful if:
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you have worries about your use of alcohol or other substances.
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you have tried to make changes on your own but find it difficult to keep those changes going.
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you are currently (or have been) in treatment but are not making the progress that you had hoped for, or the situation is getting worse.
An evaluation involves meeting with Dr. Melamed to find out your current concerns, obtaining a personal history, and psychological testing to identify other factors that may be affecting your alcohol or drug use. The evaluation concludes with a detailed feedback session about diagnoses, personal strengths and weaknesses, barriers to change, and treatment recommendations. Questions and discussion are encouraged throughout the process. Dr. Melamed approaches each evaluation with an open mind and with no set assumptions. Recommendations are based on the needs and goals of the individual.
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Treatment
Treatment for alcohol and substance abuse works. When a person decides to seek help for an alcohol or drug abuse problem, they face a number of hurdles. He or she may be uncertain about whether they really have a problem. They may be discouraged because their past efforts at managing their alcohol or drug use have not succeeded. They may be worried that if treatment looks like what they have seen on reality tv shows, then there is no help for them.
Dr. Melamed’s approach to individual treatment is grounded in psychological science and the understanding that there are multiple paths to successful recovery. Treatment starts with helping the person form a clear understanding of his or her problems with alcohol or substance misuse. This includes: identifying current problems caused by alcohol and drugs, how the persons’s substance abuse is affecting his or her physical and mental health, the effect their use is having on family and friends, the problems it may be causing at work and in the wider world. Based on this information, you and Dr. Melamed will develop personalized goals and specific strategies to meet those goals. Research-based strategies include motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Dr. Melamed encourages involvement in support groups such as AA or SMART Recovery. Where appropriate, Dr. Melamed may recommend psychiatric and/or neurological consultations. As part of a comprehensive treatment plan, Dr. Melamed actively supports the use of medications to help people find recovery. These medications may include: Campral to reduce cravings, Antabuse to provide support for abstinence, naltrexone for alcohol and opioid abuse, and Suboxone for opioid dependence.
