Burned Out, Addicted to Drugs, and Self-Medicated: America’s Doctors Face a Crisis

An increasing number of doctors are addicted to substances. It is estimated that for every seven doctors, at least one is an addict.

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The United States is grappling with the pervasive issue of addiction.

In 2022, the most recent year for which data are available, as many as 48.7 million Americans over the age of 12—or 17.3 percent of people in the age group—were diagnosed with a substance use disorder, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.