Treatment of addiction to hypnotics and sedatives in primary health care — cooperation of physicians and psychologists

Addiction to chemical psychoactive substances is a state of psychological or both mental and physical dependence on such substances. Addiction manifests itself as a temporary or permanent necessity to receive these substances. Most practicing physicians, psychologists, and psychotherapists face this problem in their everyday work. The primary care physician, to whom the patient usually has the easiest access and often the most trust, should coordinate the recovery process from addiction. If appropriate, the primary care physician should refer the patient to a psychologist or psychiatrist. In psychological support, the first place is psychoeducation about the effects of the substances taken and their adverse effects. A valuable method in the treatment of this addiction, which can be used to maintain the motivation to continue abstinence, is cognitive-behavioural therapy. Such therapy is designed to improve the patient's quality of life by modifying his/her behaviour and thinking. A proper patient-psychotherapist relationship is crucial. In drug therapy, the dose of medications should be gradually reduced and benzodiazepines with a short half-life should be replaced with others, having long half-lives. It is also important to treat causally other mental disorders.