A healthy dentist is one of the most important ingredients in a successful dental practice. An ingredient not to be taken for granted. Professionals, dentists included, can and do experience illnesses and problems that can disrupt or impair a practice.

In addition to the vulnerabilities of the human condition–addictive disorders, psychiatric illnesses, infectious disease, family and relationship problems, or the many varieties of human misery–dentists have undergone a powerful process of socialization into their professional role that makes it difficult to seek help for themselves.

Stigma about addictive and psychiatric illnesses continues to be a problem despite significant advances in scientific understanding of these disorders.

Many people, especially those in positions of community visibility as dentists are, still struggle with shame when they associate problems with personal failure.

Dental societies are in an ideal position to provide resources and support, should they choose to take this opportunity, and the ADA has the information and expertise to help them do this.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Dentists can become more aware of their own vulnerabilities and enhance their personal and professional effectiveness, as well as evaluate ways they may support their staff and colleagues.

Research; J Am Dent Assoc. 2004 Jan;135(1):84-9. Safeguarding the health of dental professionals. Lavine SR, Drumm JW, Keating LK.

See also;

• Brief-TSF can assist people cease alcohol consumption.
• Twelve-Step Programs as an Adjunct to Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology
• Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by e-Mail

Natural Health, Natural Medicine: The Complete Guide to Wellness and Self-Care for Optimum Health by Andrew Weil Read more about this title…

Domestic violence

Intimate partner violence against women is prevalent and is associated with poor health outcomes.

Understanding indicators of exposure to intimate partner violence can assist health care professionals to identify and respond to abused women. This study was undertaken to determine the strength of association between selected evidence-based risk indicators and exposure to intimate partner violence.

In this cross-sectional study of 768 women aged 18-64 years who presented to 2 emergency departments in Ontario, Canada, participants answered questions about risk indicators and completed the Composite Abuse Scale to determine their exposure to intimate partner violence in the past year.

Results: Intimate partner violence was significantly associated with

• being separated,
• in a common-law relationship or
• single
• depression
• somatic symptoms
• having a male partner who was employed less than part time, or
• having a partner with an alcohol or
• drug problem

Each unit increase in the number of indicators corresponded to a four-fold increase in the risk of intimate partner violence; women with 3 or more indicators had a greater than 50% probability of a positive score on the Composite Abuse Scale.

Intimate partner violence was not associated with pregnancy status.

Specific characteristics of male partners, relationships and women’s mental health are significantly related to exposure to intimate partner violence in the past year. Identification of these indicators has implications for the clinical care of women who present to health care settings. (Source: Open Medicine

ROLE OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS IN TREATMENT

Brief-TSF includes a ‘Partner Brief-TSF’ program to be used as adjunctive therapy whenever possible when an alcoholic patient is in a relationship.

Partner Brief-TSF can also be applied when the alcoholic is not in treatment.

Like other aspects of Brief-TSF, the partner sessions are focused and aim to meet specific goals.

Partner Brief-TSF is not intended to be used as brief marital or relationship counseling, although one objective of these sessions is to help the patient(s) assess the impact of alcohol abuse on the relationship. Marital therapy may be briefly discussed, and significant others concerns, frustrations, and grievances are validated, but the facilitator also suggests that intensive relationship counseling (along with other therapies such as family therapy or sex therapy) be deferred, at least until the client has completed Brief-TSF and, preferably, 6 months of sobriety.

The Partner Brief-TSF sessions deal with the subjects of enabling and detaching. Both of these concepts have their origins in Al-Anon, a 12-step program similar to AA but for the affected rather than the addicted. A primary goal of the Partner Brief-TSF program is to encourage and briefly facilitate the partner’s use of Al-Anon as a resource for coping with being in a relationship with an alcoholic and also for healing personal wounds that typically derive from that kind of relationship.

Another goal is to assess initially the partner’s use of alcohol or other drugs and make an appropriate referral if necessary. Finally, the goals and objectives of Brief-TSF itself and AA are outlined.

Brief-TSF includes guidelines for handling emergency calls from a partner. The approach emphasizes support and efforts to facilitate the partner’s use of Al-Anon.

Get regular updates by RSS feed