Take The CME Post-Test for Alternatives to 12-Step Programs, CATR, June/July 2017

Topics: Addiction | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only (December 31, 2017). By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 2 CME credits. Click here to take your CME test. Note: All of the CME tests are available in the “My Account” section of the site when you are logg

Eight Strategies to Help Patients Maintain Recovery

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychotherapy

Robert is a 48-year-old executive who was suspended from his job after getting a DUI that was reported in a local newspaper. He was referred to you after completing a 30-day court-ordered rehabilitation program. When he comes to your office, he appears anxious and withdrawn, and he makes little eye contact. He reports a desire to stay sober, but admits

Recognizing and Reversing Relapse

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychotherapy

I first met 32-year-old Miranda after a drug relapse that followed a stay in a residential addiction treatment facility. She had begun experimenting recreationally with prescription opioids in her early 20s, but her use escalated after she was involved in a car accident a few years later and a doctor began prescribing opioids for pain. Because of her in

Treatment vs. Recovery

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychotherapy

CATR: You have seen recovery from two perspectives—a person in recovery and a person who treats substance use disorders. What does it mean to be in recovery? Mr. Pond: For many people, the word “recovery” means being in AA or another 12-step program where the goal is to stay abstinent. It’s a culture of mutual support where people help and a

Can a One-Week Naltrexone Detox Reduce Outpatient Opioid Relapse Rates?

Topics: Addiction | Psychopharmacology | Research Update | Substance Abuse

Review of: Sullivan M et al, Am J Psychiatry 2017; Epub ahead of print. Study Type: Randomized, open-label, parallel-groups trial Naltrexone is an opioid blocker that is FDA-approved for the treatment of alcoholism. However, it is also effective off-label for treating opioid use disorder. The medication comes in two forms: an oral pill (brand name

Cannabis in 2017: Preparations and Modes of Delivery

Topics: Addiction | Child Psychiatry | Substance Abuse

While the age-old tradition of smoking cannabis remains very common, several other options for preparing the drug are becoming widely available and frequently used. In this article, we’ll update you on the modern preparations and routes of administration. The main psychoactive component of cannabis is ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is pres

CME Post-Test - Street Drugs, CATR, March/April 2017

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology | Psychotherapy | Research Update | Substance Abuse

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only (December 31, 2017). By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 2 CME credits. Click here to take your CME test. Note: All of the CME tests are available in the “My Account” section of the site when you are log

Sex Addiction: A Primer

Topics: Addiction

Alan is a 33-year-old married man who says he’s “stressed out.” With much hesitation, Alan admits he’s been watching several hours of pornography a day and spending hundreds of dollars each week at strip clubs. His boss found out he’s been using his work computer to watch porn. He’s afraid he’ll lose his job and that his wife will leave hi

Pornography Addiction

Topics: Addiction | Psychotherapy

CATR: Hello, Dr. Kleponis. Tell me, what are some key differences between pornography addiction and other more commonly accepted addictions like substance use disorders? Dr. Kleponis: Well, we have two basic categories of addiction: There are chemical addictions, and there are process addictions. What we are more familiar with are the chemical addict

A Kratom Update

Topics: Addiction | News of Note | Substance Abuse

If you have not yet heard of kratom (usually pronounced kray-tom or krah-tom), consider this an introduction to an herbal supplement that will likely be popping up in your newsfeeds with increasing frequency. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family that has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia to boost energy a

Managing Pain: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapist’s Approach [Free Article]

Topics: Addiction | Pharmaceutical Industry | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

Tales from the History of Psychiatry: Opium, an Ancient Psychotropic

Topics: Addiction | Substance Abuse

These days, opiates are primarily prescribed to treat pain. But there is a long history of using opiates to treat depression and other mental illness. Starting in the 700s, Arabian cultures used opium in mental hospitals in Baghdad, Damascus, Fez, and Cairo that also incorporated milieu therapy such as music, reading, and sexual stimulation. In the Vict

Evaluating and Treating Pain in Psychiatric Patients

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

Managing Pain: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapist’s Approach

Topics: Addiction | Pharmaceutical Industry | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

As a clinical psychologist with a specialty in chronic pain management, I am often referred patients with both chronic pain and psychiatric issues. Many of these patients see a psychiatrist and a therapist, and are taking with both psychotropic and pain medications. The referral is often made because there is a sense that psychological issues are compli

Substance Abuse in Health Care Professionals

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips

Dr. Jones is a popular and successful primary care doctor. Over the last few months, though, colleagues have noticed that he hasn’t seemed himself. He’s been seen in the hospital at odd hours, his normally professional demeanor has turned snappish, and at times he smells strongly of sweat and cigarettes. Patients have started complaining that he has

Probuphine: Promises and Problems

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips

Ever wish you could improve treatment compliance among your patients who receive buprenorphine? Ever wish you could offer them the benefit of sublingual buprenorphine while avoiding the risk of diversion and abuse? Well, now you can—maybe. In May of this year, the FDA approved Probuphine, an implantable form of buprenorphine that lasts up to six month

Treating Addiction in Health Care Professionals

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips

Tales from the History of Psychiatry: Opium, an Ancient Psychotropic

Topics: Addiction | Substance Abuse

These days, opiates are primarily prescribed to treat pain. But there is a long history of using opiates to treat depression and other mental illness. Starting in the 700s, Arabian cultures used opium in mental hospitals in Baghdad, Damascus, Fez, and Cairo that also incorporated milieu therapy such as music, reading, and sexual stimulation. In the Vict

Evaluating and Treating Pain in Psychiatric Patients

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips | Psychotherapy | Substance Abuse

TCPR: Dr. Clark, recently a local pain clinic asked me if I wanted to do some psychiatric consultation there. I ended up declining, partly because I really didn’t know what I was supposed to do as a psychiatrist working in a pain clinic. Can you provide some insight? Dr. Clark: I think psychiatrists are being underutilized in chronic pain managemen

Vilazodone Not Effective for Cannabis Dependence

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips | Psychopharmacology Tips | Research Updates | Substance Abuse