y. Remembering his days in college, he decided that using amphetamines would help him improve his performance and thus help more patients in need of his services. Besides, Dr. Lee argued, he could always take a Valium to calm down when the high got too intense. After all, as a dentist, he could easily fill a prescription and use it for self-medication.
Dr. Jones initially was unaware of Dr. Lee's growing drug dependence, but, as time passed and Dr. Lee started to show more signs of drug dependence, such as increased irritability, hyperactivity, and prolonged hours of practice followed by unexplained absences, Dr. Jones asked him if anything was wrong. Dr. Lee angrily replied that everything was all right. Dr. Jones' suspicions rose and he started to wonder: " Should I confront my partner about this issue? Should I worry about the possible effect of Dr. Lee's behavior on patients under his care? To what extent would Dr. Lee's situation affect the practice? Should I report Dr. Lee to the dental board, the licensing board, or the authorities?" These and other questions nagged Dr. Jones. After discussing the problem with his wife, Dr. Jones decided to confront Dr. Lee head-on and demand that he take responsibility for his affliction and get help.
While the above case is an imaginary one, it still is real in the sense that dentists, like anyone else, can become addicted. They do become junkies. They do become addicts. But they can and do recover (Doherty 33). Treatment programs are available that will allow an addict to recover.
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