Addiction - Articles - Page 15

Naloxone and the Harm Reduction Approach

March 1, 2016

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.

The Latest in Designer Drugs

October 1, 2015

Joshua Sonkiss, MD

Over the past several years, the explosion of “designer drugs”—so named because they are designed to evade regulation and law enforcement—has continued unabated. Here is an update on the most popular of these: synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, and synthetic hallucinogens.

Understanding the Dangers of Designer and Club Drugs

October 1, 2015

Dr. Michael Weaver discusses the latest in club drugs, providing insight on the background, dangers and legal issues surrounding these drugs, and also how to talk to patients about them with a credible understanding.

Is Varenicline More Effective in Women Than Men?

October 1, 2015

Varenicline (Chantix) is probably the single most effective medication for smoking cessation. Some research has suggested that Chantix is more effective for women. A recent meta-analysis attempted to add statistical power to evaluating that question.