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…is this the best film ever made about addiction? or asks the writer of this story on the 30th anniversary

I’m sure you’ve read about the wave of health problems, including deaths, believed to be a direct result of vaping. 

This article features a description of one man’s experience when tapering off antidepressants after a long period of dependence.  That’s

The Cognitive Biases Tricking Your Brain I’ve often wondered why it’s so difficult to change popular attitudes and beliefs about

I happened to read a story about a gambler who paid someone to stand directly behind him at the tables

This is a recovery story that makes a valid point about the degree to which someone will go to conceal 

We’re all familiar with the concept of secondhand smoking. It’s a form of direct pollution of the environment, comparable to

Study reveals genes associated with heavy drinking and alcoholism This is an article on some interesting research into the effects

Buyer Beware: If ever there were a time to heed that ancient maxim, it’s now. This case centers on revealing

This topic came up via an article in The Guardian on efforts to address the special needs and problems of

It’s a question that’s lurked in the background of our continuing discussion of opioid overdose: how many of the fatal

This article appeared recently on a popular website: the difference between social and problem drinking. Of course, social drinking isn’t a

This recent research study seemed to get an inordinate amount of publicity, mostly because it gave people something to argue

This New York Times editorial describes the case of a woman who relapsed to fentanyl just eleven days into her

The headline: “Did Americans Turn to Opioids Out of Despair – or Just Because They Were There?” This article takes

Guess what’s getting renewed attention? The “gateway” theory of drug use. Here’s one link. The gateway model was the brainchild

“Trump is at risk of blowing it on opioids, a member of his own commission warns” This article was by

One thing that encourages me about our continuing discussion of what to do regarding our opioid “problem”– more and more

We’re seeing some pushback from first responders, particularly law enforcement, to administering naloxone at the scene of an opioid overdose.

Here’s an interesting piece on a recent expert panel at the University of Pennsylvania. One of the panelists called it

I’ve been reading some very interesting things about the possibility of developing a vaccine to protect against opioid addiction. On

I recently heard an expert refer to addiction as self-induced. Hadn’t come across that particular term in years. This time

Here’s a story about the untimely death of a talented attorney from substance use. His former wife seems to think

Some years back I had dinner with a noted expert on the subject of relapse. His own approach focused on

Here’s an interesting piece from the New York Times on the question of whether video games should be considered addicting.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) made the headlines with a demand for documents to help Congress determine if opioid makers fueled

Crime can be a lifestyle. We should all know that from TV shows. Addiction can lead people to commit crimes,

Most of us are aware of the impact of stigma on public perception of addictions. But the effect can be

is an interesting snapshot of life in the very early morning hours at a casino, with comments from  a counselor

Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation long-term opioid users poll shows very different perspectives One thing that emerged clearly from the recent survey of

A brief followup to a previous post about one woman’s experience with addiction to Adderall. Here’s the article that started

The kratom issue first came up back in January of 2016, when the public learned through media reports that many

I’m late on this, because I only recently learned of the passing of James Milam PhD– a major influence on

I came across an odd quote in an article on patients with illnesses that mean they will have to be

I was asked again for an opinion on the concept of cross-addiction– a term that’s been around a long time

Half the US population reports having tried cannabis at one time or another. Only a minority of users– perhaps 9-10%–

I came across this well-written account of a young woman’s struggles to help her heroin-addicted uncle out of the morass

Eminent neurosurgeon and 2016 GOP Presidential candidate Ben Carson recently spoke out on the subject of addiction, here. Some of

Someone in a discussion group was challenging people to ‘refute’ the research of this one scientist into the origins of

It’s well established in research: people are loss-averse. That means that given a choice, we’re more preoccupied with the possibility

This was NFL Draft week, and yet again several potential high draft choices found themselves slipping in the ranks due

I was invited to give a talk to the first ‘class’ to graduate from a brand new rehab program. About

The notion of compulsion confuses many people. It’s not all that easy to come up with a precise definition. You’ll

We’re hearing the phrase spontaneous remission used now in discussions of addiction. It’s borrowed from cancer treatment, where it’s used

One of the oft-discussed mysteries of heroin: In spite of widespread use by US soldiers during the war in Vietnam,

Interesting piece in the Guardian by an author who suffers from bipolar disorder. An excerpt: Referring to somebody as “bipolar”

Here’s an interesting blog from the Washington Post on how American adults drink. It’s based on a 2007 book. Check

I happened across a recent discussion on cross addiction. A blog article had cited some new research to portray it

There’s an ongoing debate in mental health and addictions about the merits and demerits of ‘labeling’ clients. One side argues

It’s early days yet, but we may have seen a real advance in the effort to identify a genetic risk

When someone insists that addiction isn’t a disease, it’s ordinarily because it doesn’t fit their mental picture of what a

Translating Accurate Diagnosis into Effective Treatment, Part Two Within the frame of the current DSM, a number of issues relevant to

Compulsion is ordinarily defined in terms of an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, even against your conscious

Translating Accurate Diagnosis into Effective Treatment, Part One Around this time last year, the mental health world was just gearing

I learned a new term today: “feetoxing”. It’s used by clients of methadone clinics to describe the practice of quickly

DSM-5 has been out for months now, although I’m surprised to find many folks still aren’t using it. A recent

I never had much luck with alcoholics who wanted to moderate their drinking rather than give it up altogether. One

Everyone knows that addicts and alcoholics use substances to reduce the pain of withdrawal. Yet in the early and middle

How and Why Addicted People Do It “How easy am I to manipulate?” It’s a good question and one that

Just the other morning someone in a discussion group airily informed me that knowledge of addictive disease was irrelevant to

Our brains must adapt to the presence of a drug in order to experience phenomena we normally associate with addiction:

It was one day after a painful relapse, and the 16 year old’s mother was furious with the program director.

This article is shareblogged from A Young Psychologist’s Blog, with thanks to the author. A hard question. Not always an

Models of Addiction, Part Five: Moderation, or “A Return to Social Drinking?” This is the dominant model in America when

George Vaillant is a psychiatrist and researcher whose career has been devoted to the study of mental illness and addiction.

Models of Addiction, Part Four: Temperance, or “Demon Rum” We’ve talked about how difficult it is to come up with

Models of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: Part Three We’ve talked about how difficult it is to come up with a

Models of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: Part Two We’ve talked about how difficult it is to come up with a

We’ve talked about how difficult it is to come up with a single effective approach to addictions, and that’s exemplified

When You Love a Shapeshifter, Part 2 The drugs or alcohol have turned someone you love into a monster. How

A Travel Guide for Treatment Professionals William White, Hazelden Publishing, 1996 (2nd Ed.) If treatment programs cannot provide an alternative

Drug addiction is a brain disease which can develop over time. Though initial use is voluntary, control over consumption is

This 13-page .pdf workbook can be used to assist substance abuse clients with smoking cessation– a necessity at many residential

A Primer on Psychiatric Disorders, part 3 Recently I came across a fascinating article in the science journal Nature about

I’m currently studying addictions and I’m somewhat confused by different opinions run into about medications like methadone or Suboxone. In

In Part One, “Intervention at the ER? Can it Work?” we discussed the challenges- and rewards- of doing brief interventions

My cousin has been addicted to crack cocaine for ten years.  He is a chronic relapser.  He’s been to rehab

With the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in preparation for publication, the perpetual controversy is heating

E.M. Jellinek’s book The Disease Concept of Alcoholism appeared in 1960. Jellinek reviewed a broad spectrum of available knowledge from

People have abused opiates for 5,000 years. As much as medicine depends on them, they’ve always created problems for a

Prescription Painkillers are utterly necessary to the practice of medicine.  But are they “safer” than street drugs? When taken only

Intervention can be a scary process not just because we wonder “Will it work?” but “Will they hate me forever?”

“What is the difference between addiction, dependency, and abuse?” A great question, with a complicated answer, which I’ll try (perhaps

If you want to help someone recover, it helps to understand the disease they’re suffering from.  Scott McMillin, co-author of

Denial is an inability to accurately perceive the extent or severity of a problem. Denial often goes hand in hand

Imagine you’re one of those people who suffer from both alcoholism and diabetes. You manage to quit drinking. But your

Treating addiction when mental health problems are also present can be like playing whack-a-mole: You address one problem and another

Most people would agree that a visit to an emergency room for an alcohol or drug related injury or illness

Why is it some alcoholics claim they were alcoholic from the first drink, and others report they drank safely for

We could have a lot of technical and metaphysical discussion about what defines “personality,” but the more we try to

I recently ran across the terms ‘set’ and ‘setting.’ What are they and how important are they in understanding or

I saw a piece on the NPR website about how you could tell when someone crossed the line from moderate

To the family, alcohol may seem like the cause of problems. But to the person with alcoholism, it remains a

I’m taking a college psychology course. In one class we heard the instructor say she thinks there is an actual

Today I received yet another article about yet another physician who declared that addiction was not in fact a disease.

I did a lot of weekend drinking in college  I guess it was binge drinking. Me and my roommates would

I’ve been in recovery more than two years now and feel I have a pretty good handle on that aspect

I recently completed nursing training. I was surprised how many alcoholic people were on general medical wards for complications of

Celebrities and Addiction It’s early Sunday morning, and the Web is full of mad speculation about the cause of Whitney

Is it nature or nurture? (What are the roles of genetics verses environment?) Why does it skip generations sometimes? ”

People with addiction are known for manipulating other people to get what they want. It’s usually put down to psychopathology.

I’ve seen a commercial on TV by someone who claims that his program ‘cures’ addiction. And I noticed you saying

Stronger Together: Addiction Group Treatment Groups are the dominant mode of treatment in many addiction programs, but they don’t always

There have been some very powerful arguments made by patients and pain specialists in support of liberalized prescribing practices for

I was interested in this candidate’s plan for the drug crisis because Senator Klobuchar hails from Minnesota, a state with

There’s a contentious debate in Massachusetts over the involuntary commitment of drug users. Sometimes they go to treatment and sometimes,

I’ve long been fascinated by the way the treatment and criminal justice communities interact with one another when it comes

Just a brief update on recent research: it appears that science still isn’t able to say with authority that medical

The Politico website (of all places) recently published a long and informative discussion about the unintended consequences of various measures

I wanted to call attention to this piece on the development of psychological approaches to chronic pain. More attention is

https://youtu.be/hWQiXv0sn9Y John Oliver’s piece on Rehab specifically mentions a situation where the owner of a well-known treatment program also owns

We recently learned that Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame quarterback Bret Favre should be included on the long list

https://youtu.be/hWQiXv0sn9Y Comedian John Oliver took on Rehab during this recent show on HBO. Oliver is from that branch of comedy

Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio wrote in the Washington Post about the need to involve the private sector in finding

A bit more on the situation in Kentucky: I see the current administration is moving to add still more requirements

This Washington Post article is a decent overview of current thinking on depression treatment. Some takeaways: The two most common

In clinical trials, medications show promise for treating heroin addiction The above-linked article discusses the results of a clinical medication

I was pleased to hear that the folks at IRETA– the Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions– have

I’ve noticed a push from some quarters to add therapeutic programming to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), particularly Opioid Treatment. That

Here’s an interesting piece from Mayo Clinic on an intensive therapy program for chronic pain patients, including those for whom

Here’s a very interesting piece from Stanford professor and psychiatrist Keith Humphreys on changes in the profile of a typical

Here’s a recent piece on a Heroin Assisted Treatment (HAT) program: The case for prescription heroin. Such programs have naturally

You may have heard or read about scandals involving recovery homes, which over the past decade have become a fixture

Some years back I had dinner with a noted expert on the subject of relapse. His own approach focused on

“I’m so tired of hearing people blame treatment because a client has started using drugs again,” complained the director of

It looked for a minute like the mandate to cover mental health and substance use disorders would remain in the

I was fascinated by this article in The Guardian. It concerns a Southern California treatment facility that has integrated pot

I admit I was surprised to see our state’s advisory board recommending medical marijuana as a primary treatment for– opioid

In the midst of an opioid epidemic, we find ourselves searching for alternatives to our dependence on  painkillers for chronic

I’m wondering how statewide legalization of cannabis will affect the life of a treatment program. After all: Cannabis already ranks

I’ve been curious to see how inpatient rehabs will respond to people who arrive in treatment expecting to continue smoking

I’ve often wondered about the high dropout (or if you prefer, low retention) rates in some medication-based Opioid Treatment Programs

NPR recently did a short piece on the origins and merits of the traditional 28-day inpatient addiction treatment program. When

Many years ago, I became friends with a researcher at the massive academic medical center across the street from our

The kratom issue first came up back in January of 2016, when the public learned through media reports that many

Observing outpatient treatment in different settings (as I often do), it strikes me that we might divide a typical client

Interesting article in the Washington Post on findings from a very large survey of cannabis users. It illustrates some clear

I’ve always assumed that one of the harm reduction benefits of opioid maintenance was a corresponding reduction in criminal behavior.

A counselor had asked me how Suboxone might be abused. I e-mailed a couple docs who have experience with it

In the rooms of AA, I often hear that treatment “is a joke,” or that the real help comes once you

I wanted to take a quick look at an issue that’s come up several times in debate over a national

I came across this well-written account of a young woman’s struggles to help her heroin-addicted uncle out of the morass

Bumper sticker: “I didn’t say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame you.” I overheard a

What is it about the last dose of methadone or Suboxone that sinks so many well-intentioned attempts to successfully taper

I read recently about a for-profit venture that specialized in managing addiction treatment for subscribers of a very large national

Some not-at-all startling info: Marijuana use among US adults doubled between 2002 and 2012– to 9.5%, or 23-24 million people.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years: when drug epidemics hit, it’s often at a time when trends in healthcare

I was talking with a colleague who recently left her job with a methadone maintenance program in another state. Like

Not long ago I got into a discussion with a counselor who insisted his program used a harm reduction approach

There was an article on the front page of the Washington Post recently, telling the story of a young man who

If addictions are so resistant to treatment, then why do certain approaches– I’m thinking now of the professional assistance programs for

A couple years ago I was at a conference listening to a speaker advocate for the removal of controls on the

I’m watching as someone takes an intake call at an outpatient program in a small city. The caller was arrested five

It has not-so-suddenly dawned on a lot of people lately that between the Affordable Care Act, the requirements for insurance

Let me just say that I view addiction as a disease process, chronic, often progressive, and potentially fatal. It’s the

What you’re reading on that Treatment Program website or brochure. The substance abuse treatment industry is growing fast. New payment

In view of some of the fantastic success rates cited by various claimants to the title of most effective  addiction

…that is the question.” I came across an Internet debate on the relative merits of opioid maintenance versus opioid-free treatment.

Cecile was describing her experience with a local chiropractor. This is Santa Fe, so it’s not the bone-crunching style of

I’ve often thought that when it comes to meeting the needs of the active alcoholic or addict, our U.S. healthcare

There are so many different treatment options available that finding the right fit can seem like a daunting task. By

A recent study led the authors to conclude that medications that might help alcoholics were greatly underutilized by treatment professionals.

Seems like we’ve recently seen a flurry of new ads for various products designed to help folks ‘beat’ their addictions

Just recently I came across an article about the way things were in addiction treatment back in 1960 and how

Most addiction programs make use of patient education– to impart new knowledge, but also to clear up the many misconceptions

A colleague of mine was speaking favorably of his own experience of residential treatment some years before. “The way I

I watched a lecture recently where the expert presenter began with a declaration that treatment for alcohol and drug problems

We’re often asked about the natural course of recovery for someone who enters treatment as a teenager. Here’s an example,

Pseudoscience is usually defined as an approach or method that appears to be based in science, and is presented as

The New York Times has a long piece on buprenorphine. They bend over backwards to be fair– leading with a

This article is shareblogged from A Young Psychologist’s Blog, with thanks to the author. A hard question. Not always an

There was a recent article in the New York Times on the proliferation of rehabs in the tony beach community

“At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier softer way. But we could not.” Alcoholics

Addicted people abuse substances and engage in certain behaviors for a number of different reasons. Over the years, research has

Here’s an issue that came up in when I was reviewing the proposed Federal standards for Opioid Maintenance Treatment (OMT).

An ASAM Perspective I’m a fan of ASAM criteria, because they helped put an end to a disturbing early trend

Family can offer terrific support to someone in recovery- or, family can be a huge obstacle to establishing and maintaining

Using Football to teach decision-making? It sounds weird, sure. But almost every male teen in America watches football (and plenty

This simple, task-oriented patient education tool can be easily added to your group or individual counseling curriculum.  The workbook is

A few years back I worked with a residential program that functioned as a court of last resort for folks

It’s often difficult to understand, when you’re trying to get someone into treatment, why certain “levels” of care are recommended–or

We used to be impressed by how many great resources there are on the Internet to help you find addiction

Programs that thoroughly educate their clients about addiction and recovery generally have superior outcomes. While those that don’t… let’s just

Repeat DUI/DWI offenders can pose tough challenges for treatment programs and counselors.  The needs of the client and the demands

A Primer on Psychiatric Disorders, part 2 We’re firmly in the realm of theory here, but to continue our earlier

A Primer on Psychiatric Disorders, part 1 A good place to start: Three questions that seem to come up in

We hear a lot about how many patients relapse following treatment. The implication is that treatment is a waste of

In our area there’s a shortage of inpatient rehab beds for people without money. Waiting lists are over a month,

Our brother has agreed to go to an inpatient treatment program. He’s tried outpatient and failed. We’re going to pool

I work with DWI offenders in outpatient substance abuse treatment. Mostly men, mostly in their 20’s and early 30’s. They

We’re designing a patient education program as part of a research project. We’ve heard this is something of a specialty

What do you consider an ideal balance for an addictions treatment program in terms of staff composition–recovering versus non-recovering staff?”

How do you explain success rates of treatment? Families are always asking me, and they never seem happy with the

Here’s a short piece from NPR, on the desire for more flexibility in making use of Federal drug abuse funds:

I was interested in this candidate’s plan for the drug crisis because Senator Klobuchar hails from Minnesota, a state with

Here’s an interesting article about the respective challenges faced by society in managing our chronic problems related to alcohol. The

From the New York Times: This City’s Overdose Deaths Have Plunged. Can Others Learn From It? I happened to attend

I hate to beat a (possibly) dead horse, but if our nation wants to avoid future severe, debilitating, incredibly damaging

Much has already been written about the origins of the current opioid epidemic, but I liked the way this long

Here’s an overview of yet another obstacle faced by law enforcement in its efforts to stem the flow of illegal

Here’s some research from Pew Trust that strongly suggests a plan to imprison more drug offenders is not going to

Is the US Government restarting the War on Drugs? I can’t answer that, but the signs seem ominous. We’ve all

Panel Recommends Opioid Solutions but Puts No Price Tag on Them Bruce Springsteen once recorded a song complaining about the

The Emergency Room has long been a prime target for drug-seeking, and a number of articles have been written on

Some traits or characteristics that, in my experience, make us easier to manipulate in a brief contact with someone who’s

Given the explosion in opioid use, we’re seeing increased interest in ways to preparing medical practitioners to deal with drug-seekers,

There have been a number of recent efforts to change the prescribing patterns for opioid painkillers. That’s in response to

The Washington Post recently posted an update on the impending prosecution of an Oklahoma physician who allegedly over-prescribed painkillers and muscle

Let’s explore a couple of recent stories on the now seemingly revived War on Drugs. First, a long article that looks

This article takes a wry view of a DEA website that seems to encourage parents to be ever vigilant towards

This past year has focused considerable attention on the issue of protecting our nation’s borders. I’ve been thinking about our

First off, a link to the Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) website. An epidemic is an unanticipated, often sudden

One of the arguments advanced in favor of building a gigantic wall on the US-Mexico border is the potential impact

Just a week or so ago, I was asked about the new education requirements for physicians who wanted to prescribe

You may have read about the surprising delay in FDA approval of mandatory training for physicians in safe use of

For an up close and personal look at America’s drug culture, try a ride-along with a patrol car on the

The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, just released its new guidelines for prescribing opioids for the treatment of pain.

It’s interesting to observe what happens when drug and alcohol addiction, something that normally lives in the shadows, suddenly becomes

Something new on the market: a high-tech gadget to make sure that folks comply with their take-home methadone or Suboxone

There was an interesting article in the NY Times on research into political persuasiveness. The conclusion was that to get

You know that old argument about legalizing cannabis because it’s no worse for your health than alcohol or tobacco? That’s

There’s no universal mug shot or profile for someone out to con drugs from a physician, of course. They come

There are certain things that in my experience can make it easier for a drug-seeker to manipulate a physician. A

John Talmadge, an eminent Dallas-based addiction psychiatrist, reports stumbling on this while browsing the web (misspellings courtesy of the author):

We want to do a prevention program for 10th grade students in our school. The main drug here is marijuana.

I’m a teacher faced with the challenge of teaching my junior high students about the dangers of illegal drug use.

(We knew it, now the research catches up.)  A study published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors identifies a

A study recently reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that older adults prescribed opiate painkillers after minor surgical

There are a number of challenges to overcome in dealing with drunk driving offenders. First, there are just way too

Addiction and alcoholism can be fatal in many ways– sudden overdose; long-term, accumulative systemic damage; and involvement in crime gone

You may have come across a popular form of marijuana known as ‘skunk’, sometimes called ‘stinky weed’, a hybrid of

Here are a couple of interesting short pieces from the media on a coming change in the opioid epidemic: First,

  A recent opinion piece in the Washington Post by Scott Gottlieb MD, former head of the Food and Drug

The issue of eskatamine– a close relative of ketamine now up for approval as a treatment for depression, in the

Given our preoccupation with opioids, we’may have neglected some important events involving a group of drugs that not so long

This article may not be of much direct use to addiction clinicians, since I doubt many of you will be

Oh yeah, this old debate. Well, here are the key questions: If cannabis is addictive, why are some people able

This account turned up in the Politics section of the Denver paper– fitting because it’s really more about the politics

You may have read about the marked increase in ER visits in states such as Colorado where legal cannabis use

“The New Herbalism” is a term coined by Steven Modello M.D. over at the Science-Based Medicine website, to describe the recent

That cannabis use can contribute to or even trigger a psychotic episode won’t come as a surprise to staff at

A recent article on The Guardian website discussed new findings re LSD’s action in the brain. The editors have been

Popular book on marijuana’s apparent dangers is pure alarmism, experts say The above-linked article was ostensibly intended to refute some

I’m always interested in the way a drug is portrayed in the popular media. That’s because it can have such

Amanda Feilding: ‘LSD can get deep down and reset the brain – like shaking up a snow globe’ This is

I was surprised to see this article in the New York Times on the health hazards of marijuana use– not

I like Richard Friedman’s columns in The New York Times for his well-reasoned opinions and for his ability to express

JUUL Hits the Big Time Here are a couple recent stories about the multibillion dollar investment made in Juul, the

A new Federal report indicates that the majority of fatal overdoses involve multiple substances, instead of just a single culprit:

You’ve no doubt heard of GHB (gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) as a notorious “date rape” drug. The story doesn’t end there. Turns

This study, surprisingly, found more effects for cannabis use on the cognitive abilities of teens than were found with alcohol.

Memory loss has been much discussed of late, as a result of the contentious Supreme Court confirmation process. So I

Here’s a link to a recent account of a writer’s self-described addiction to marijuana, from the New York Times. Such

A short opinion piece on the dilemma of today’s pain patients: The big thing Congress can’t do to fix the

It’s recently been brought to public attention that many highly publicized alcohol studies, especially the ones that seemed to confirm

There’s apparently been a dramatic shift in the Pacific Northwest as a result of states legalizing cannabis for widespread consumption.

An extended article provides a useful update on the Kratom debate. It’s a challenge to find media accounts that consider

This article in the Washington Post is from a physician who specializes in palliative care. He’s advocating use of psychedelic drugs

  This is what I’d call an advocacy piece. It’s intended to promote use of CBD, which is fine, but

Not to your health: Germany bans beer ads that suggest it’s good for you This article concerns a German consumer

We’ve heard stories over the years about patients who’ve faced great difficulty when they stop antidepressants following a long period

  This is a remarkably intelligent look at the growing problem of cannabis “overuse” and its associated consequences. It’s something

Alcohol Companies are Funding Research to Convince You Drinking is Healthy We’ll begin with a decent summary of three recent

Inside the secret lives of functioning heroin addicts I’ve met many a functioning heroin addict over the years. Of course,

I found this update from the Medscape educational website to be a real surprise. A 300% increase in ADHD medications

These two articles examine the problem of pain from two very different viewpoints — one scientific, the other very personal.

From time to time someone asks my opinion on which of the  commonly abused substances is 1) most addictive, and

I’ve read several recent pieces in the media on an uptick in binge drinking. That doesn’t exactly come as a

I was reading about the dramatic increase in the use and abuse of gabapentin, brand name Neurontin. Here’s a piece

More bad news: the next wave of overdoses, fatal and otherwise, will probably feature “lookalikes” for common drugs of abuse,

Seems there’s a renewed effort on the part of the FDA to restrict Kratom, popular among some in the recovery

In clinical trials, medications show promise for treating heroin addiction The above-linked article discusses the results of a clinical medication

I was looking over some recommendations that emerged last summer from House and Senate Appropriations Committee hearings. “Appropriations” means funding,

While we were preoccupied with other matters, the opioid epidemic seems to have morphed into the fentanyl epidemic. Here’s an

Here’s a clever parody of the way drug use is often portrayed in the media– the author applies similar treatment

Here’s a very interesting piece from Stanford professor and psychiatrist Keith Humphreys on changes in the profile of a typical

I’d describe the explosion in cannabis-related business ventures as a classic economic ‘bubble’. They occur regularly in different industries. Cannabis,

Exactly how much THC is in today’s marijuana? To some extent, it depends on the sample you’re looking at, and

Yep, it’s our old friend from the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s, returned to spread more joy. Here’s an update

Some very interesting findings from a comprehensive review of some 10,000 studies on the medical uses of marijuana. Turns out

Here’s some interesting information on a new illness, thought by doctors to be related to longterm marijuana use. The name: “Cannabinoid Hyperemesis

This one caught my interest for two reasons. First, the amount of cash involved: A cool $100 million. Second, the

Old drinking joke: “I don’t know why they say I abuse alcohol. Most of the time it’s the alcohol that’s

Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation long-term opioid users poll shows very different perspectives One thing that emerged clearly from the recent survey of

I’ve been asked about this several different times now, so it might be worth a comment. The question: Suppose someone

The good news: cigarette smoking is down, to around 17% of Americans. I believe that’s an all-time low. But cigarettes

I’m wondering how statewide legalization of cannabis will affect the life of a treatment program. After all: Cannabis already ranks

A recent New York Times Magazine features a fascinating piece on one woman’s experience with Adderall– now the second most common

It’s not a particularly new practice, but it seems to be getting quite a bit of attention in the media:

Interesting article in the Washington Post on findings from a very large survey of cannabis users. It illustrates some clear

There’s been some discussion lately on the real meaning of the term potency when applied to commonly used drugs. We

As we’re hearing more about the potential for psychedelics in the treatment of major mental illnesses and addiction, I thought

In Britain at least, there’s increasing concern over escalating cannabis use by young persons assessed as vulnerable to psychosis (young

I came across an odd quote in an article on patients with illnesses that mean they will have to be

Just to clarify something that comes up in discussions of medical marijuana: First, we should probably switch from the word

A counselor had asked me how Suboxone might be abused. I e-mailed a couple docs who have experience with it

In our local weekly: A full page ad by a Colorado company touting the benefits of its products. “The Power

LSD is back in the media, thanks to another ‘breakthrough’ involving brain scans of the drug’s effects. I don’t know

Saw a piece in Huff Post titled ‘Why Is Marijuana Banned? The Real Reasons Are Worse Than You Think.’ Great

War and drug use have always gone hand in hand. Opium production in war zones like Vietnam and Afghanistan are

You may have seen this piece in the NY Times recently. Here I was just asking myself which would be

A brief update on two drugs that seem to be showing up more often in treatment settings, usually as part of

David Casseret, a Georgetown physician and professor, recently had his new book, Stoned: A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana, reviewed

Back in January, National Public Radio did a piece on the emergence of hash oil, a resinous substance extracted from

David Gorski reviewed the evidence (real and imagined) for medical cannabis in a this piece in the blog Science-Based Medicine.

Maybe the most unusual thing about Robin Williams’ tragic death was that it didn’t involve drugs or alcohol. So many

Just recently, authorities reported more than 30 overdoses in Austin, Texas, believed to be related to a batch of synthetic

This is the legendary ‘flesh-eating’ drug from Russia that’s been making the news on a regular basis for some months

The New York Times has a long piece on buprenorphine. They bend over backwards to be fair– leading with a

I’ve been reading lately about the death of celebs like Cory Monteith, who OD’ed after stints in rehab. Including the

Drug addiction is a brain disease which can develop over time. Though initial use is voluntary, control over consumption is

The Drugs Prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percocet, and others containing codeine, produce the sort of euphoria that young

Prescription Painkillers are utterly necessary to the practice of medicine.  But are they “safer” than street drugs? When taken only

Does cannabis produce drug dependence? The answer is ‘Yes’, but with some caveats. Tolerance and withdrawal Users in countries known

We already know the downside of having prescription opioid painkillers available and prescribed for an increasingly wide range of applications.

My son tells me LSD is a cure for alcoholism. Is that actually true? I have to ask” Be nice,

Today’s New York Times tackles the question of curbing prescription drug abuse. If you’re interested, here’s the link. In a

What’s your position on detox and maintenance? Do you recommend it to programs? I certainly have, especially those that treat

It’s a real challenge for someone in early recovery to make a good decision in a difficult situation. Okay, that’s

The Guardian website periodically runs stories of personal recovery. Sometimes they involve  celebs, other times not, and they usually shed

  Circles of Recovery: An Interview with Keith Humphreys PhD The interview is conducted by noted addiction historian Bill White.

is about research on the brain’s ability to calm itself when under stress. Most of what I know about calm

A 12-session recovery workbook for building a new life in sobriety My Life in Recovery is a new workbook companion to

You’ve heard the old joke, origin uncertain: “I used to be all messed up on drugs. Then I found the

There’s been a lot of discussion of transgenderism in the news lately. I couldn’t help noticing some common features with

Online discussion groups are a great way to find out what people in the field are thinking. Example: Over the

I ran across an author promoting his new book as a ‘holistic’ alternative to Twelve Step recovery. Made no sense

The New York Times has an informative personal account from an insomnia sufferer that helps illustrate the benefits of cognitive-behavioral

These are common in the experience of many addicts and alcoholics, both during active use and later on, in recovery. Working

The Fix has an entertaining debate on the effectiveness of the 12 Step approach between two docs on opposite sides,

New multi-factor model aims to map out the road to healthy lifestyle in recovery One prerequisite to preventing and addressing

The path of addiction recovery for young people is challenging. They report multiple behavioral health issues, and the prospect of

It’s said of many endeavors that we get out of them what we put into them. I’ve heard the complaint

This came up during a LinkedIn discussion: the oft-repeated claim that AA has a ‘success rate’ of just 5%. The

Depends on who you ask. Most AA members will tell you that they aren’t. Critics of AA will insist they

Recently I’ve been seeing references in the popular press to an alleged ‘success rate’ for AA or NA. The references

A healthy routine is a big asset in early recovery. It helps you structure your time so you get more

There was an interesting discussion on Linked In about people in long-term recovery who go back to using. My experience:

I stumbled across this quote in a book I was reading: “Unhappy is he whose fame makes his misfortunes famous.” 

Psychologists sometimes refer to addiction as “a central organizing principle” in the addict’s life. That means that over the months

We’re often asked about the natural course of recovery for someone who enters treatment as a teenager. Here’s an example,

George Vaillant is a psychiatrist and researcher whose career has been devoted to the study of mental illness and addiction.

One way of looking at the problem of lapse and relapse in those initial months of recovery: it’s all about

Addiction affects everyone… But what do the different experiences of men and women seeking help or in addiction recovery mean

A Beginner’s Guide to Family Recovery Getting key family members involved, educated, and supportive of clients’ recovery is a major

First Nationwide Survey Documents the Many Benefits of Sustained Recovery from Addiction to Individuals and to the Nation The many

Based on the book “Relapse Traps: How to Avoid the 12 Most Common Pitfalls in Recovery,” this simple 1-page checklist

A Relapse Prevention Workbook for Residential Treatment Programs Victor is bemoaning the fact that after a month in rehab, he

I began attending AA meetings early in my career. It wasn’t entirely voluntary- as a junior staff member I was

Our son just turned 26. About a year ago he went on Suboxone maintenance following an arrest for possession. He

Back when I was working at a treatment center I had a return visit from a young woman who had

Our friend Sober Chrystal kindly allowed us to make downloadable .pdf document from her amazing blog post.  Not only does

If you Follow us on Twitter (@RecoveryInst) or “Like” us on Facebook, you’ll see us use the phrase often. We

Most of us have heard them.  There are lots.  This article discusses five of the most common reasons given for

One goal of treatment is to provide the addict or alcoholic with “tools for recovery.”  These aren’t objects or little

My parents want me to ditch my boyfriend, who’s recovering.  It’s true we’ve been through some rough times, but Todd

My husband just celebrated a year off alcohol. He’s on antidepressants, prescribed by his doctor. Things are better than when

My husband returned home from a residential program a few months ago. I guess things are going OK (he’s still