Betty Ford Center :: Recovery :: James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.

Dr. James W. West, M.D., F.A.C.S. was the medical director of the Betty Ford Center from 1983 to 1989. He graduated from the Loyola University School of Medicine, and was a member of the surgical team that performed the first human kidney transplant in 1950 at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Chicago. Dr. West practiced surgery for forty years and was an assistant clinical professor of surgery at Loyola University School of Medicine. After pursuing further studies in the areas of psychiatry and the subspecialty of substance abuse disorders, Dr. West started the Illinois State Medical Society Panel for the Impaired Physician. He is the author of many publications in the fields of surgery and substance abuse disorders, including The Betty Ford Center Book of Answers.

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Alcohol, Remorse and Hope
April 18th, 2011 / / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : My husband is an alcoholic. His drinking has gotten much worse, and now we are separated. I just couldn’t stand the uncertainty of life with a periodic alcoholic. What are the chances of recovery in a person who can stay sober months at a time and then - with no warning- suddenly will get drunk and disappear from home for a week or more? He then shows up, looking awful, full of remorse and resolving “it will never happen again!” Answer : This is what alcoholism is: a compulsive use of alcohol with complete loss of control over its use, and continued use in...

What is Craving?
April 17th, 2011 / Doctor's Office / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
Question : What is craving? I am a recovering alcoholic who once spent a couple of days in the hospital where the doctor gave me something because I was getting the shakes. The only other time I felt shaky was when I went into an alcohol treatment center where they gave me a tranquilizer to detox. I cannot say I ever had what they call craving Answer : Alcoholics who drink every day avoid craving because they keep the blood alcohol level high enough to prevent the symptoms of withdrawal. The only times you could have experienced craving was in the hospital and alcohol or drug...

Long-Term Alcoholism Can Cause ‘Wet Brain’
February 18th, 2011 / / James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.
The term “wet brain” is not scientifically valid, but refers to a very real condition known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This chronic brain syndrome is caused by long-term alcoholism and is accompanied by a triad of symptoms: (1) mental disturbance; (2) confusion, drowsiness, and paralysis of eye movements; and (3) ataxia, or a staggering gait. A primary cause for this is a thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency due to severe malnutrition and poor intestinal absorption of food and vitamins caused by alcohol. The wet-brain person acts much like the Alzheimer’s victim with loss...

Addiction, Treatment and Recovery

James W. West M.D. F.A.C.S.

Help is available. So is hope.