Tag Archives: Addiction Treatment

Overcoming Addiction and Suicide: An Evening of ‘Sanity & Grace’

She stood on a podium in the middle of a stage in a suburban Philadelphia mega-church building, this musical legend with cloud-like hair billowing above her beautiful, life-etched face and beaming signature blue eyes. Enwrapped in a jewel-tone purple skirt, among her first words that greeted the anticipatory audience were, “OK, let’s get this out […]

Follow Our LEAD: How Seattle Cops Are Changing the Rules

With Richard Nixon’s declaration that drug abuse was “America’s public enemy No. 1” in 1971, the aim of the federal government and police departments across the country for the following decades was to lock up drug offenders. The idea was simply that punishment would make people realize they shouldn’t use drugs and that they would […]

Fewer People Believe Marijuana Is Risky, Survey Finds

Collectively, young adults are significantly more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than people in younger or older age groups. One of the key factors in determining the likelihood of substance intake is the amount of self-perceived risk that an individual attaches to drug or alcohol consumption. As part of a yearly survey project called […]

When Addiction and Mental Disorders Are Linked, Treatment Should Be Too

Substance abuse treatment centers are increasingly turning to a whole person treatment strategy. Instead of treating the patient only for the addiction they reported when admitted, the treatment center may screen for various other types of problems, including additional substance abuse and mental health symptoms.

New National Drug Control Strategy Puts Emphasis on Treatment

On July 9, 2014, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released its strategy for the upcoming year. Michael Botticelli, the current drug czar who assumed his position in March, released the official National Drug Control Strategy at an event in Roanoke, Va.

Intranasal Naloxone on Fast Track for Opioid Overdose

Naloxone is a medication that temporarily stops heroin and other opioid substances from reaching the brain. When used promptly, it can help stop a person from dying from an opioid overdose. In recent years, public health officials and researchers have sought to increase the availability of naloxone and make the drug easier to administer in […]

Will Robin Williams’ Tragic Death Save the Lives of Others?

The late Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was among the most effective public figures at de-stigmatizing mental illness and addiction by baring his own lifelong struggles with both. Williams, whose confessional brand of stand-up comedy was a form of “sharing his story” by coating anguish with humor, was found dead at his home Aug. […]

Naloxone Nasal Device New Way to Treat Heroin Overdose

The Food and Drug Administration has fast-tracked a nasal spray application of naloxone, a highly effective medicine that helps save the lives of addicts in the midst of a heroin overdose. Faced with an alarming rise in the abuse of opiates such as heroin and prescription painkillers, the FDA moved to accelerate the approval process of […]

Tailor Drug Treatment to Phase of Addiction, Researchers Say

As researchers continue to uncover the secrets of addiction, we are beginning to learn more about how to treat this terrible disease. One of the biggest advancements in addiction research and treatment in recent years is the use of medications. Addiction has too long been treated without being informed by research. Today we know that […]

Mutant Worms That Don’t Get Drunk Provide Promise for Alcohol Treatment

Oh they showed all the signs of alcohol intoxication — the weaving, the poky movement. That was before the worms had brain surgery. By tweaking a molecular channel in the tiny animal’s brain, neurologists have found a way to genetically alter a worm so it doesn’t get drunk after consuming alcohol, a potentially promising finding […]

Why Is Heroin Addiction So Hard To Treat?

It has been proven time after time that alcoholism and drug addiction are amenable to treatment. Each year, millions of Americans celebrate another anniversary of sobriety, surrounded by grateful family members who remember the agony and misery of days gone by. But while the success stories are uplifting, the failures are disheartening; unfortunately, the latter […]

Meditation for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Recovery

Alcoholism and drug addiction are complex conditions that plague millions of people.  Recovering from them requires a comprehensive treatment plan. For many recovering addicts and alcoholics, that plan typically includes talk therapy, support groups, and, if warranted, medication. However, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices, particularly meditation, can provide a vital source of additional support […]

Medications for Alcoholism Are Underprescribed

The prescription drugs naltrexone and acamprosate were approved for the treatment of alcoholism in 1994 and 2004, respectively. Both of these substances can help reduce the incidence and intensity of the cravings associated with alcohol dependency, and both have emerged from several rounds of clinical testing with their reputations intact. Naltrexone and acamprosate are usually […]

Right Step Clear Lake Seminar on CRAFT Therapy Draws Addiction Experts

Right Step Clear Lake, a new Right Step outpatient treatment facility in Houston, Texas, will host an international gathering of  addiction experts and authors at a three-day seminar on CRAFT, a highly successful reward system for changing behavior that has been featured on HBO’s award-winning series on addiction.

‘Love Hormone’ May Help Those Battling Addiction

Developing close and loving bonds between family members is important to a child’s well-being and development. It seems obvious that a loving relationship between parent and child creates a healthy and happy environment, but the latest research is telling us just how important this can be for a child’s future. Being loved and shown affection […]

Holder Vows to Fight Heroin Deaths ‘Crisis,’ Treatment Gets Short Shrift

U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder this week declared rising heroin and opioid overdose deaths “an urgent and public health crisis” and vowed renewed enforcement and treatment efforts. In a five-minute televised video, the nation’s top cop referred to the 45 percent increase from 2004 to 2010 in the fatal overdoses from heroin and other opiates found […]

Addiction Is a Brain Disease, Not Moral Failing

Although addiction treatment is a relatively new field, a significant body of research shows that addiction is a chronic illness similar to asthma, hypertension and diabetes. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” Consistent differences in neurophysiology between addicts and non-addicts […]

Heroin Addicts Battle Drug, Insurance Denials

The family’s first-born son was away at college when he became a heroin addict. He was 21 and in the throes of detox at a long-term residential treatment center when his parents learned this sobering news: their medical insurance would not pay the $8,000 bill. “I used the savings bonds I inherited from my grandma […]

Doctors’ Views on Drug Abuse Affect Outcomes for Addicts

People affected by substance use disorders commonly receive treatment from healthcare professionals trained as general physicians (GPs), psychiatrists or addiction services specialists. Whatever the details of their training, these professionals contribute a critical element to successful treatment by committing themselves to their work as fully as possible. However, not all professionals involved in the field […]