Chances are good that we under-medicate alcoholics. According to one estimate, only 10% of alcoholics receive medications as part of their treatment (Jonas DE et al, JAMA 2014;311(18):1889–1900). That’s too bad, because these medications work. In this article, we focus strictly on medications that appear to be effective, both those approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and those that are commonly used off-label.
Learn about the ways positive psychology techniques can be used to help patients with addictions, in an interview with researcher Amy R. Krentzman, MSW, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work in St. Paul.
A recent study out of London found that users of high potency cannabis (also known as “skunk” weed) are three times more likely to experience a psychotic episode than those who never use cannabis; and those who use it daily are at a fivefold increased risk.
Opioid overdoses have reached epidemic proportions. While the best solution would be to prevent opioid overdoses in the first place, an important piece in the effort to reduce these fatalities is to have a good way of preventing overdoses from leading to death. That’s where the opioid antagonist naloxone (Narcan) comes in.
First approved in 2002, Suboxone, a sublingual pill, was undoubtedly a breakthrough in opiate addiction treatment—especially as compared to methadone. Unlike methadone, Suboxone could be prescribed in the office and filled at pharmacies, freeing patients from the shackles of the methodone lifestyle and its required daily clinic visits.
A new study provides strong evidence that chronic marijuana use during adolescence can lead to significant social and psychiatric issues later in life.