The internal and external stresses associated with a physician’s life often affect the family. When the physician is abusing drugs or alcohol, the pressures are magnified. There may be long hours, emotional isolation, excessive devotion to medicine, pressures from regulatory agencies, threats or reality of liability suits, complacency about physical health, spending sprees, infidelity, eating disorders and sleep disturbances.(See Table 1, page 6, for other possible stressors for the family.)