Dr. Joseph DeSanto
Medical Director | California Medical License G081151
Dr. Joseph DeSanto is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician specializing in Addiction Medicine and medically supervised detox in Orange County.
His perspective on addiction is both clinical and deeply personal. After more than a decade practicing hospital and acute-care medicine, Dr. DeSanto entered recovery from opioid addiction in 2012. The experience fundamentally changed the direction of his career—and the kind of physician he wanted to be.
Today, as Medical Director at SoCal Detox, Dr. DeSanto brings decades of medical experience, extensive knowledge of withdrawal management, and the perspective of someone who understands recovery from both sides of the physician-patient relationship.
His philosophy is straightforward: be present, be honest, check your ego, and treat the person—not simply the diagnosis.
Content Reviewed by Dr. Joseph DeSanto
Summary
Dr. Joseph DeSanto at a Glance
Role: Medical Director, SoCal Detox
Credentials: MD; Board Certified in Internal Medicine
Clinical Focus: Addiction Medicine and Detox Medicine
Medical Career: Practicing since 1998
Recovery: Sober since 2012
Undergraduate Education: BS in Biochemistry, Pre-Med — Lafayette College
Medical Education: SUNY Downstate — Brooklyn, New York
Residency: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center — Los Angeles, California
Clinical Interests: Complex detox, withdrawal management, Medication-Assisted Treatment, and advances in Addiction Medicine
Additional Experience: Treating physicians and healthcare professionals affected by substance use and mental health concerns
Community Involvement: Advocacy and treatment access for veterans experiencing homelessness
Career
A Career Dedicated to Addiction Medicine
Dr. DeSanto began his medical career in hospital and acute-care medicine, practicing in that environment from 1998 through 2012.
Following his own recovery, Addiction Medicine became the central focus of his career.
Since then, he has helped thousands of individuals struggling with substance use and has developed extensive experience managing withdrawal, medically complex detox, and patients whose substance use histories require a more individualized level of care.
His clinical experience includes withdrawal involving alcohol, fentanyl and other opioids, methadone, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and multiple substances used in combination.
For Dr. DeSanto, successful detox is not simply about getting someone through withdrawal. It is about stabilizing the person medically, earning their trust, and helping create the conditions that allow recovery to continue after detox ends.
Philosophy
A Physician Who Believes in Being Present
Dr. DeSanto believes there is a difference between overseeing a patient’s treatment and truly being present for it.
For him, face-to-face care provides insight that cannot always be captured through a medical chart or a screen. Being physically present allows him to listen closely, observe changes in a patient’s condition, recognize when something may be going unsaid, and better understand the person he is treating.
That presence also helps build trust. Dr. DeSanto believes patients are more likely to engage honestly and actively in their treatment when they know their physician is genuinely invested in their wellbeing.
His own recovery has reinforced the importance of humility in that relationship.
That willingness to check his own ego has become an important part of the way Dr. DeSanto practices medicine. Rather than positioning himself above his patients, he strives to meet them as people first.
It is part of what he means when he describes himself as a people’s doctor.
Clinical experience
Experience With Complex Detox
At SoCal Detox, Dr. DeSanto helps oversee patients with substance use histories that can make withdrawal medically challenging.
His experience includes complex detox involving fentanyl, methadone, benzodiazepines, alcohol, opioids, and polysubstance use—including patients who may require closer monitoring and more individualized medical management.
Treatment is not approached with a single protocol for every patient.
Dr. DeSanto and the clinical team consider the individual’s substance use history, current medications, withdrawal symptoms, physical health, and response to treatment when determining how care should progress.
As symptoms change, treatment can change with them.
The goal is to manage withdrawal as safely and comfortably as possible while helping patients become medically stable enough to continue into the next stage of recovery.
Treatment
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Dr. DeSanto is a strong supporter of evidence-based Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) when clinically appropriate.
He views medication as one of several tools that can help reduce risk, stabilize patients, and give people the opportunity to establish a stronger foundation in recovery.
His approach is practical rather than rigid. Instead of expecting every patient to recover in exactly the same way, he believes medical decisions should reflect the realities of that person’s condition, history, and needs.
Dr. DeSanto also maintains a strong interest in advances in Addiction Medicine and emerging treatments that may improve outcomes for people with substance use disorders.
Monitoring
Advanced Medical Monitoring During Detox
The earliest stages of withdrawal can involve rapid changes in a patient’s condition, particularly in more medically complex cases.
At SoCal Detox, hands-on clinical observation is supported by medical monitoring technology and structured withdrawal assessments.
Clients may be monitored using the Masimo Rad-97, allowing the clinical team to track measurements including oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and respiratory status.
The clinical team also uses established assessments such as COWS for opioid withdrawal and CIWA for alcohol withdrawal to evaluate symptoms and guide treatment decisions.
Monitoring can become more frequent when a patient’s symptoms or medical condition warrant closer observation.
For Dr. DeSanto, technology is an additional layer of information—not a replacement for having an experienced medical team actively involved in the patient’s care.
Lived experience
Recovery Informs the Way He Practices Medicine
Dr. DeSanto has been sober since 2012.
His experience with opioid addiction and recovery gives him an understanding of addiction that cannot come from medical training alone.
He understands what it is like to be on the other side of the conversation—to experience the fear, resistance, uncertainty, and vulnerability that can come with admitting there is a problem and accepting help.
That experience has changed the way he interacts with his own patients.
Dr. DeSanto emphasizes honesty without judgment, accountability without humiliation, and medical care that recognizes addiction as something happening to a human being—not simply a condition appearing in a medical record.
His recovery also taught him that expertise does not eliminate the need for humility.
That combination of lived experience and medical training is now at the center of the physician he has become.
Specialty
Experience Treating Physicians and Healthcare Professionals
Dr. DeSanto has particular experience working with physicians and other healthcare professionals struggling with substance use and mental health concerns.
He understands that seeking treatment can carry an additional layer of fear for medical professionals whose careers, reputations, identities, or professional licenses may feel at risk.
His work with this population has given him insight into the perfectionism, professional pressure, shame, and reluctance to ask for help that can sometimes prevent healthcare professionals from seeking treatment earlier.
As both a physician and a person in recovery, Dr. DeSanto understands a difficult reality: the people who spend their careers caring for others can sometimes find it especially difficult to accept care themselves.
Training
Education and Medical Training
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. DeSanto attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry on the pre-medical track.
He went on to earn his medical degree from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York, before completing his Internal Medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Dr. DeSanto is board certified in Internal Medicine and has devoted much of his career to Addiction Medicine, withdrawal management, and the treatment of substance use disorders.
“When I’m present with a patient, I get to feel energy.”
Dr. Joseph DeSanto
Community
Advocating for Veterans
Dr. DeSanto’s commitment to addiction treatment also extends beyond his work at SoCal Detox.
He has been involved with the Veterans Affairs system and has advocated for veterans experiencing homelessness, helping individuals pursue treatment and connect with appropriate care.
His advocacy reflects the same principle that guides his clinical work: people struggling with addiction should be met with humanity, medical care, and a genuine opportunity to move forward.
Personal
Beyond Medicine
Outside of medicine, Dr. DeSanto is an avid camper and hiker.
He also collects fountain pens and antique timepieces, interests that reflect his appreciation for craftsmanship, heritage, and history.
Learn More About Detox at SoCal Detox
Dr. Joseph DeSanto brings something uncommon to his role as Medical Director at SoCal Detox: decades of medical experience paired with a personal understanding of addiction and long-term recovery.
His approach combines medical oversight, evidence-based treatment, transparency, and genuine human connection. He believes patients deserve a physician who is present, pays attention, and sees the individual behind the addiction.
If you or someone you love needs help with drug or alcohol withdrawal, contact SoCal Detox to learn more about our detox program and speak with our admissions team.