If you are a doctor or nurse practicing in Pennsylvania, you know the importance of your medical license. You also know that if your license gets revoked for any reason, you will no longer be able to practice.
Substance abuse can be grounds for the revocation of your medical license, and this includes being found to regularly abuse alcohol. If you are a regular drinker, it is important to evaluate your behavioral patterns to determine if you are an alcoholic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that over 25 percent of adults over 18 years of age have had at least one day of heavy drinking in the past twelve months. The percentage of people who are found to be regular drinkers is around 60 percent for men and just below 50 percent for women. It is clear that heavy and regular drinking is not too uncommon, and there are resources available to help if you are worried that your drinking patterns are putting your career at risk.
In the Philadelphia area alone, there are 113 different centers that you can look up through the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs that can assist with drug and alcohol addiction. As healthcare providers, they are obligated to protect your confidentiality, thus protecting your reputation.
If you decide to be proactive and seek treatment on your own, it could save your career, and more importantly, keep you from harming your body more through a continued pattern of abuse. Even doctors need help sometimes, so if you are having issues, find the help you need before the problem turns into a legal issue on your plate.