A Personal Tale of Loss: How Providers Can Help with Grief

Topics: Addiction

My oldest son Aaron died of a heroin overdose in May 2007 at age 33. He had battled addiction for more than 20 years. The death of a child is an unfathomable loss. Losing a child to addiction carries with it a different kind of grief, often wrapped up in stigma, guilt, and shame. The reaction of others, including the healthcare providers who tried to

Caring for Clinical Caregivers

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips

In today’s fast-paced, technology-focused, and cost-conscious healthcare environment, many clinical caregivers find themselves anxious, frustrated, and under pressure. For people working in substance abuse treatment, those feelings can be magnified as they work with patients with chronic illnesses who often struggle to change their lives, frequentl

Legal Dimensions of Bad Outcomes

Topics: Addiction | Practice Tools and Tips

Mark Whitmore can be contacted at [email protected]

Single Question Screeners for Addiction

Topics: Addiction | Research Updates

Possible Solution to the “Poppy Seed Defense”

Topics: Addiction | News of Note

Fentanyl Fueling Heroin Deaths

Topics: Addiction | News of Note

ASAM Releases Standards of Care for Addiction

Topics: Addiction | News of Note

Does the Transtheoretical Model of Change Work for Addiction?

Topics: Addiction | Free Articles | Substance Abuse

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change has become almost universally accepted in addiction treatment. Like all dogmas, it is rarely critically examined, leading to blind belief and unskilled use. In a nutshell, the TTM assesses an individual’s readiness to both change problem behaviors and act on new, more positive behaviors. The model h

Chronic Care Management Doesn’t Improve Outcomes

Topics: Addiction | Research Updates | Substance Abuse

Still Waiting for Good Data on Electronic Cigarettes

Topics: Addiction | Research Updates | Substance Abuse

Controversy Surrounds FDA Approval of New Opioid Drug

Topics: Addiction | News of Note | Pharmaceutical Industry

Welcome to the Future: Drug Testing with a Fingerprint

Topics: Addiction | News of Note | Pharmaceutical Industry

Treatment Interventions for Cocaine Addiction

Topics: Addiction | Free Articles

Treating Cocaine Addiction and ADHD

Topics: Addiction | ADHD

Cocaine addiction involves a host of maddening issues related to psychiatric comorbidity. Perhaps none is more vexing than co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whether real, misdiagnosed, or malingered. In this article, I’ll parse through three recurring questions that clinicians confront when treating addiction and ADHD.

Cocaine Addiction: Tough to Overcome

Topics: Addiction

Addiction in Sexual Minorities

Topics: Addiction | Research Updates

Relapse: Why It Occurs and How to Prevent It

Topics: Addiction | Free Articles

Relapse usually does not occur suddenly, nor do people plan their return to addictive substance use. From the client’s point of view, it just seems to happen. But there are always indictors that trouble is brewing. Early students of addiction—the members of Alcoholics Anonymous—noticed a paradox: people with substance use disorders often act in

Substance Cravings and Addiction Relapse

Topics: Addiction

Patients with addiction complain of cravings so frequently that sometimes it’s difficult to make sense of them. They are a common symptom and one that may serve as a predictor of whether a patient will relapse. What are cravings? At the most basic level, cravings are thoughts and urges to use a substance. Studies have shown, however, that cravings

Treating Addiction as a Chronic Disease

Topics: Addiction

Training Healthcare Professionals in Addiction Treatment Despite the prevalence of addiction in the US, very few physicians are specifically trained to diagnose and treat substance abuse. However, change is underway as a number of physician groups and private organizations are working to better educate future doctors. The American Society of Add

FDA Makes Safety Labeling Changes

Topics: Addiction | News of Note