Addiction - Articles - Page 15

RESEARCH UPDATE

Synthetic THC and Antihypertensive Provide Little Benefit for Cannabis Dependence

May 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP. Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio,.

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Second only to alcohol, marijuana is the most common reason people enter substance abuse treatment. And unlike alcohol dependence, there are virtually no effective medications available for those addicted to it. It’s not from a lack of trying. A recent review of 14 drug studies for cannabis dependence revealed little benefit from antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or anxiolytics.

RESEARCH UPDATE

When Physicians Become Addicted: How Well Do Treatment Programs Work?

May 1, 2016

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP

Bret A. Moore, PsyD, ABPP. Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Moore has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

When physicians are diagnosed with opioid or other drug dependence, they are required to receive treatment from special physician health programs (PHP) if they want to keep their medical licenses. Unlike treatment programs for the general population, PHPs do not use opiate agonists, such as methadone or buprenorphine.

How to Treat Opiate Use Disorders

March 1, 2016

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM.

Professor and medical director at the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions at the University of Texas Medical School.

Dr. Weaver has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Opiate use disorder is increasingly common, and it is important to develop a systematic approach for treating it. In this article, I will discuss some of the more important elements of treatment, starting with the need to address patients’ denial and moving on to some of the nitty gritty aspects of medication-assisted treatment.

Naloxone and the Harm Reduction Approach

March 1, 2016

Eliza Wheeler, MA, MS

Eliza Wheeler, MA, MS

DOPE (Drug Overdose Prevention Education) project manager, San Francisco Bay Area

Ms. Wheeler has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity

Eliza Wheeler gives her insight into harm reduction as a model for practicing public health that seeks to provide services in a nonjudgmental way. Harm reduction seeks behavior change while acknowledging the need to meet a person where they are—especially in their particular journey through substance use. Abstinence is not a prerequisite for treatment or a condition that someone must meet to receive services.

Addiction and Family: What You Need to Know

January 1, 2016

Alison Knopf

Alison Knopf.

Editor of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, a subscription newsletter published by Wiley that focuses on policy and programming, and a freelance journalist specializing in mental health and substance use issues.

Ms. Knopf has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

The addiction field has clearly become less enamored with terms such as codependency. This article brings you up to date on some tried and true approaches for working with the families of patients with substance use disorders.

Alcohol Addiction: The Role of Families in Treating Patients

January 1, 2016

Stephanie Brown, PhD

Stephanie Brown, PhD.

Dr. Brown is a licensed psychologist and expert on the treatment of alcoholics, adult children of alcoholics, and addicts and their families. Dr. Brown is the author of 11 academic and popular books on addiction and recovery, including Treating the Alcoholic: A Developmental Model of Recovery.

Dr. Brown has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial
companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Dr. Brown is a pioneer in understanding the interplay of family dynamics and addiction. She discusses addiction cases and how how family influences treatment methods for substance abuse.

Intranasal Naloxone Product Approved by FDA

January 1, 2016

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Clinical psychopharmacology consultant, www.taliapuzantian.com

Dr. Puzantian has disclosed that she has no relevant relationships or financial interests in any commercial company pertaining to this educational activity.

The opioid antagonist, naloxone, was first approved for opioid overdose treatment in 1971 and is available as an inexpensive injectable generic. In recent years, emergency responders have been using more easily administered intranasal version of naloxone.

How Psychiatrists Can Use AA to Help Their Patients

November 1, 2015

Alison Knopf

The influence of the Twelve Steps recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is pervasive, but many psychiatrists treating patients with alcohol use—or other substance use—disorders may be unaware of exactly how it can help them in their work.

The Twelve Steps Explained

November 1, 2015

Daniel Carlat, MD

This article summarizes each step in the Twelve Step program and provides a menmonic device to help clinicians remember them.

Psychiatrists and the Twelve Steps

November 1, 2015

How can Twelve Step programs help patients struggling with addiction? Marvin Seppala, MD, discusses the nature of these programs and how psychiatrists can use them in their treatment strategies.