Treatment of iatrogenic drug dependence in the general hospital.

Despite the vast literature on drug dependence, little has been written about patients who become addicted while taking medically prescribed drugs for organic pathology. Observations from a psychiatric consultation-liaison service reveal that these patients are frequently middle-aged with no history of drug abuse before the onset of a chronic medical condition. Associated with their medical condition is a dependence on narcotics and/or psychotropic medications for such complaints as pain, headache, insomnia, and anxiety. Thea addiction may persist for years without acknowledgement by a patient, doctor, or family, although there is usually a progressive constriction of social and occupational functioning. The primary physician is highly valued by the patient; this manifest appreciation trends to facilitate the primary physician's continued prescription of large doses of addicting drugs. Treatment involving detoxification typically goes through a series of stages, each of which has characteristic hazards and pitfalls that can lead to failure of treatment.