A doctor on high-functioning alcoholism
For decades, I practiced medicine as a dermatologist and dermatopathologist, serving patients and teaching medical students at UC Irvine. I believed I could recognize addiction when I saw it. I was always alert for signs, such as the patient whose story didn’t quite match the evidence, or whose habits hinted at something deeper.
When alcohol came up in conversation, I learned early to quietly double whatever amount the patient reported; experience …
