Chris Schroeder is the Director of Media for C4 Recovery Solutions. In his role with C4, he has been tasked with hosting and developing the webcast show, The Afflicted and Affected, interviewing leaders in the addictive illness field and other interesting personalities revolving around the recovery world. Chris comes into contact with those who research and apply the latest methods of treatment and those who are a force in positive change in outcomes and funding both politically and in the media.

I have heard it said many times, “we are not doctors; we should have no opinion on what someone is taking.” It’s true that most of us do not have medical degrees, however, we do witness sober fellowship members being taken out by prescription medication every day. I have seen an increase in people with long-term sobriety relapsing because of this issue, and in some cases die. We must place more responsibility on ourselves and stop using the doctors know better than us dodge, because a large percentage do not. I had an opportunity to interview some of the world’s premier addiction doctors with the Afflicted and Affected webcast. The universal message I got was that a doctor who is not specifically trained in addiction medicine does not know what medications can be problematic in recovered clients. Simply warning a doctor that you are an alcoholic or have had drug addiction problems may offer you no protection. Less than half of a day is required on alcoholism in medical school and that time is on the complication of advanced cases. If you want have the best chance of getting safe treatment as a person in recovery it would be wise to use a doctor who is a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). But even some of these doctors can’t predict the ramifications on prescription medication. Take responsibility for your own recovery and get advice from those with true experience. We know our addictions better than the doctors do. Don’t let a script take you out.