Topics: Addiction | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

Everyone knows about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the original 12-step group. There are more than 60,000 weekly AA meetings in the U.S. alone. Despite this near-monopoly, however, many patients object to some of the most basic tenets of 12-step groups. This article presents alternatives, such as SMART Recovery.

Topics: Addiction | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

Online programs to provide substance abuse treatment? Phone apps that can measure someone’s blood alcohol level? Welcome to the future­—in some cases, the very near future. Dr. Nunes, the deputy director for intervention studies at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, sheds light on technology-assisted care.

Topics: Addiction | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

Contingency management (CM) programs are often effective, but they can be expensive, with typical incentives costing $900–$3,000 for a 12-week program. Expensive CM programs are referred to as “high magnitude.” In this new study, researchers tested an “ultra-low magnitude” program (basically, a very cheap program) to see if offering inexpensive reinforcers would be effective for an opioid-abusing clientele.

Topics: Addiction | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

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