Dr Robert Lefever, Addiction Specialist

Published September 2nd, 2010 | Last updated December 2nd, 2011
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The Founding Director of Doctor Robert treatment centre – www.doctor-robert.com

After training at Cambridge University and the Middlesex Hospital in London he entered general practice - by choice because he enjoyed the human contact with patients - and has been happy as a GP ever since.

He built the first National Health Service group practice in the South Kensington area but returned to single handed practice when he recognised that groups of doctors working together tend to move at the pace of the slowest and focus on their areas of disagreement.

After a total of sixteen years in the National Health Service, Robert moved into private practice because he wished to develop his own ideas and clinical services rather than forever follow the dictates of the State.

In 1993 he established the PROMIS Counselling Centre, a follow-on from the PROMIS Recovery Centre, a forty-four bed treatment centre for depressive illness and all forms of addictive or compulsive behaviour in South Kensington, London.

Articles: 

  • A Specialist's letter to someone recently diagnosed with an eating disorder

    By Dr Robert Lefever, Addiction SpecialistContact

    Few clinical conditions are mis-diagnosed and inappropriately treated more often than eating disorders.

    There is really only one eating disorder: the use of food - or an associated behaviour - for emotional reasons, rather than primarily for nutrition or taste.

    Obesity comes from compulsive over-eatimg. There is no way of becoming morbidly obese other than by consistently eating too much.

  • A Specialist’s letter to someone recently diagnosed with alcohol problems

    By Dr Robert Lefever, Addiction SpecialistContact

    Nobody has the right to diagnose you – but I can help you, if you want, to diagnose yourself.

    If you are having problems – any problems – as a result of drinking alcohol, then you might be interested in seeing how you can help yourself to turn them around.

  • A Specialist’s letter to someone recently diagnosed with drug problems

    By Dr Robert Lefever, Addiction SpecialistContact

    I should be surprised if you were surprised at being told that you had problems with drugs. You know that yourself. You are more likely to be angry than surprised.

  • The Modern Approach to Treating Alcoholism and Addiction

    By Dr Robert Lefever, Addiction SpecialistContact

    The delicate skills involved in treating alcoholism are not for the faint-hearted to attempt.  People suffering from cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body., diabetesA disorder caused by insufficient or absent production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas, or because the tissues are resistant to the effects. or heart attacks are grateful when offered help.  People who have problems with addictive or compulsive behaviour of any kind will fight back: they want to protect their dependency and get rid of its damaging consequences.  

  • Diagnosing and Treating Addictive Illness

    By Dr Robert Lefever, Addiction SpecialistContact

    The first essential is to make a sound diagnosisThe process of determining which condition a patient may have..  Otherwise there is a risk of treating someone who does not have a genuine addiction problem but is merely a casual user.  For example, students may get drunk as part of their standard behaviour but this does not mean that they are alcoholic.  There is an equivalent risk of under-diagnosis, failing to see that symptoms of emotional instability may in fact be due to an addictive tendency.  Questionnaires, such as the CAGE questionnaire, can be helpful.  The Doctor Robert Addiction Questionnaire covers sixteen potential addictive outlets.  Possibly the most accurate assessment, however, is when one addict judges another: the “feel” is right – or not. 

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