William Loving, MD

Dr. William Loving graduated from the University of Texas, Medical Branch at Galveston in 1974 and is board-certified in psychiatry (1980) and addiction medicine (1989). After a psychiatric residency at Austin State Hospital, he began practicing neuropsychiatry. Five years later, he joined Neuropsychiatric Associates of Austin, a group practice headed by Dr. Stuart Nemir. Dr. Nemir was the first doctor in Austin to start a private 28-day program for drug and alcohol treatment. Later, he started the first intensive outpatient program in Austin, which was also one of the first in the country. Dr. Nemir recruited Dr. Loving to help in these programs, and eventually Dr. Loving became the medical director of both. Thus began his interest in the field of chemical dependency and treating alcoholics and addicts.

During those years, he worked closely with Dr. Nemir and Ulysses “Mac” McLester, LMSW-ACP, who was also a well-known expert in chemical dependency. For over twenty-five years, Dr. Loving has treated psychiatric patients, chemically-dependent patients, and patients with both psychiatric and chemical dependency problems , known as “dual diagnosis”. Dr. Loving is enthusiastic about devoting his full energy to the treatment of people with the disease of chemical dependency. Dr. Loving addresses chemical dependency as a chronic, self-induced central nervous system disorder. “Alcoholism” and “drug addiction” are terms for a chronic disease that can be managed with the help of education and various therapies. A cornerstone of treatment is teaching patients to use Alcoholics Anonymous’s 12-Step Program as a tool for sobriety.