Assessing and Supporting Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder

Guest: Terry D. Schneekloth, M.D. Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) Unhealthy use of alcohol has the potential to affect not only the individual who consumes the alcohol, but a variety of others as well. Alcohol is the most used addictive substance, with an estimated prevalence of 7% of the United States population. Excessive alcohol use has the potential to cause damage to essentially every organ system and is thought to reduce one’s life expectance by approximately 10 years. Whereas treatment is available and has the potential to be very successful, it often requires an ongoing, lifetime of therapy. Our guest for this podcast is Terry D. Schneekloth, M.D., a psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. This podcast discusses when you should suspect alcoholism in your patients, how to make a diagnosis and which management techniques have been shown to be effective. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.