Addiction

As the pain pill Zohydro hits the market, the opioid epidemic continues with veterans remaining high at-risk. A recent report provided by the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAOM) found that half of veterans prescribed medical opioids for pain continue to chronically use (more than 90 days) the drugs.

According to research drawn from national Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) data, of 959,226 veterans who received opioid prescriptions, 502,634 (52%) chronically used opioids. Some factors that were most likely to be present in veterans who chronically used opioids were PTSD, tobacco use, being married, having multiple pain conditions, the use of more than one type of opioid medication, and using an opioid dose above 100 mg per day. (Science Daily) Read more →

How does someone go from being an occasional drug user to abuser? Are there any risk factors that can predict how quickly a person can develop a dependence to a certain drug? According to a new study being published in Addictive Behaviors (February 2014), there are. And hopefully such insights can help doctors amp up preventative measures for those most vulnerable. Read more →

Here are some of the top myths about substance abuse and treatment:

Myth #1 Drug and alcohol addiction is a voluntary behavior. It’s true that using drugs or alcohol is a voluntary decision in the beginning. But over time, continued use of drugs or alcohol alters the way your brain works and leads to compulsive, even uncontrollable use of drugs and alcohol.

Myth #2 Drug and alcohol addiction is a character flaw.  Addiction is a brain disease. Drugs and alcohol hijacks the reward system in the brain until they become the most powerful motivator in a person’s life. Addiction is not a character flaw, lack of willpower, or moral failing. It is a disease that requires medical attention. Read more →

Debating whether addiction treatment should include buprenorphine is a complex issue. This week The New York Times printed an article called “Addiction Treatment with a Dark Side” that explored the history of buprenorphine and the dangers that it poses. This article sparked a debate with the HuffingtonPost and The New Republic both posting rebuke pieces, “New York Times Misses Mark on Buprenorphine” and “The Media Needs to Stop Stigmatizing Our Best Weapon Against Heroin Addiction,” respectively. So what is buprenorphine and what role should it have in addiction treatment?

Buprenorphine (often sold on the market and prescribed as Suboxone) is an anti-craving drug, like Methadone, used as drug replacement therapy for heroin and painkiller addictions. Partially developed and promoted by federal officials, it has been hailed as a major tool in the fight against drugs. It has been deemed safer than Methadone and has allowed patients to take the medication at home (lessening the community stigma that surrounds Methadone clinic). It has played into the common belief that “replacing illegal drugs with legal ones, needles with pills or liquids and more dangerous opioids with safer ones reduces the harm to addicts and to society.” (NYT) But does this approach really free an addict from the chains of addiction? If not, what then is our goal as addiction specialists? Read more →

Are fear and denial keeping you from leading a healthy, happy life free from substance abuse?  According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23.1 million people (ages 12+) are in need of treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, but only 2.5 million actually seek help. What is standing in the way? In a study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, researchers identified two of the most common barriers to entering addiction treatment: denial of a problem and fear of treatment. Read more →