One of the oldest diseases in the world, and we still don’t know as much as we should about its causes, effects, and how to treat it- much less cure it. What we do know, and what we’re learning, ends up here:
...the fastest growing drug of abuse in many areas is methamphetamine, a stimulant. Incentive programs for drug abuse patients first appeared in the treatment of stimulant disorders, and much of the evidence in support of the practice is based there.
“Kennedy has long expressed skepticism about antidepressants, especially (SSRIs), questioning their safety and suggesting they are as addictive as heroin.”
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…the main challenge for all these meds is “medication adherence.” Translation: patients stop taking them.
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We either do what works, as challenging as that may be, or we accept the consequences of failure.
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I remember the late James Milam PhD suggesting that the ability to vividly recall one’s first use of a substance might actually be an indicator of future problems.
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These are issues that users seldom take into consideration, in the rush to get the drug. But healthcare professionals, and their attorneys, have to consider them.
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I’m curious as to whether the reductions in meth use could be expected to lead to eventual abstinence where meth was concerned. That’s been the hope for other maintenance treatments, for the most part unrealized.
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…we still haven’t made much progress in terms of agreeing on what qualifies as legitimate psychotherapy. Or perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t.
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Clinicians …reported feeling under pressure to meet the expectations of clients who had been attracted to the services initially by an aggressive marketing campaign on social media.
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They found no clear correlation between cannabis use and a lessening of opioid dependence.
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Simply bringing up the possibility of ‘doing without’ could be immensely threatening.
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Do you want them here with us, in range of immediate help? Or lying dead in the bathroom of your local fast-food joint?
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There appears to be good evidence for relying on an extended taper off opioids versus a more rapid process. Instead of fast cessation of use, the opioid is deliberately reduced on a preset schedule.
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