European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                App Rio or. A. Doug lat Talbot Points to train s addictive fan an a past pc in Nam � fud0 Taw in Statuta to aunt. A wow one a Fra utta a Matt highly Riga Terf or Gianu for treatment of doctor to Hook. Survival training for addict doctors by Bill Lohmann United press International the doctor from Indiana was grasping Lorthe fight word to describe his Days As a drug addict when he would lie cheat and steal Togal his daily dose of  to said. I was stealing drugs and willing phony  said Robert Butch Boll Orlf. 33, an Anaesthesiologist from Jeffersonville into. "1 knew i might get caught and loss my Job and my family. Gui l did it anyway Bottolf s Habil was Tenta nyl a powerful synthetic aesthetic that provides a Quick High and is reported to be far Mare addictive than Street narcotics. For Lour years the physician diverted drugs from patients and crept away into Corners of the Hospital to shoo up. I was sort of a sell Anaesthesiologist said both off. Managing a lain smile. The life of an  is one of boredom followed by panic said Holtorff. There is either nothing going on or you re in a crisis  a had the time Access to drugs. And the inclination. It gave me a lift a sense of Well being he said during a break from treatment at Ridgeview Institute a nationally respected private psychiatric Hospital in Smyrna a an Atlanta suburb. Bottorff claims his addiction never jeopardized the Well being of his patients although tie admits drugs became the focal Point of his life. He tried to get help once but a Tew weeks in a treatment program did Little Good and within a few Days he was Back 1o his old habit. Finally he was confronted by Hospital officials stripped of his License and led out of wort. His family Lily was in shambles his future in serious doubt. I was Lull of guilt full of shame and i had no sell esteem Bottorff said. I Felt like i was an Inch  As astonishing As Bottorff s Story might be it is not unique. Medical professionals including doctors dentists nurses and pharmacists have a rate of addiction to alcohol and drugs at least As High As the general population figure of 7 percent and according to some experts far higher. Despite More than a decade of study accurate numbers Are hard o come by. Some researchers say the addiction rate among medical personnel is four to six times higher than in the general Public. Officials at Ridgeview Institute a non profit facility that pioneered line treatment of doctors on drugs say the Rale is twice As High. The american medical association is a bit More conservative estimating thai substance abuse among physicians is probably no greater than in any other profession. But the Ama takes the problem very seriously sponsoring seminars and conferences nationwide in an attempt to Alert doctors and their families to signs of addiction. Our feeling is that something ought to be done no matter How widespread or not widespread the problem  said an Aua spokeswoman. It s something thai needs to be addressed whatever the numbers their message is alarming. Tho thought that people entrusted with the health of others Are destroying their own health has grave implications. But experts like or. G. Douglas Tal Boll say it s not an easy matter to blame addicted physicians for being irresponsible. It is a big problem said Talbot founder of the impaired health professionals program at Ridgeview where he has treated More than 1,200 health professionals in a Little More than a decade. Talbott knows. In the 1960s, he had a successful practice As a cardiologist. He also had a drug and alcohol problem. " was a disgrace to my family and a blight on the medical Community Talbot 61. Says candidly. At one Point he checked into a psychiatric Hospital but it was not until he began attending alcoholics Anonymous meetings that he made any Progress. Back on his eel Talbott became project director of a Baltimore study of skid Row alcoholics. For firsthand research he would live Lor Days at a time panhandling As a derelict on the Street. Those Days of survival training led Talbott to establish Ridgeview a program for health professionals sponsored by the Georgia medical association As the first of its kind in the nation. I m a recovering chemically dependent person said Talbott who is credited by the Ama with bringing the problem of impaired physicians into the National spotlight. I got to where i got not from Reading books but  there Are now about a dozen imitations where health professionals Are treated As a separate group. While some in the Field see no reason o separate physicians from other professionals Talbot and those who have been through his program say doctors Are a different Breed and swear by the Ridgeview setup. Simply put they Point out doctors do not make Good patients. You be got to treat them with their peer group Talbot said. A you Don to they la play cod with the other people in the group who Are not health professions. It a just  Holtorff wound up in Ridgeview s intense four month program after an unsuccessful stay at another facility where impaired physicians were not separated from other patients. Doctors As patients just can t relate Well to other patients he said. Bottorff recently came to the end of his treatment Al Ridgeview and looked Forward to going Home to Indiana where his wife two children and he Hopes a new life in the medical profession await him. There s a lot of apprehension he said. I d have to lace people who will say we Don t want you i might have to change specialities but i m going o be practising Medicine in some Way shape or form " Talbott believes three factors make health professionals easy prey for addiction chronic stress easy Access to drugs and alcohol and the Burden of society s reverence for doctors. I Call it the m. Deity syndrome because we must be everlastingly in control Talbot said. You re told in the beginning that you re special and you obviously Are special in terms of making life and deals decisions. But Combine that with the titanic syndrome where physicians Are taught they re uni Natile and you be got problems. Doctors Are never supposed to be wrong and doctors Are never supposed to get tired. They Swallow up their feelings and that takes its  denial is a characteristic common to any addict. For health professionals the denial is even More steadies. It usually lakes some serious consequence the loss of a License criminal charges or a failed marriage before a physician will seek treatment. But once they Are cajoled or threatened into Ridgeview or some other special program for health professionals Talbot says the results Are overwhelmingly successful. Ridgeview reports a Success rate in excess of 85 percent. Most return to the medical profession. A majority of Ridgeview e patients have Multi drug problems alcohol cocaine and crack Are Page 16 the sta8s and stripes saturday october 4,1966