Addiction & Substance Use

Two recent papers look at the subtle and surprising links between smoking and pain in different parts of the body.

Research on a new kind of cannabis treatment prepares to move forward.

Are people with high "neuroticism-depression" likely to drink more than the average person when stressed? We may be getting closer to the answer.

Look at the big picture on cannabis: what harmful effects could it potentially have on your patients' brains?

1 in 6 people with opioid use disorder experience a new traumatic event every month, but no evidence-based treatment for trauma.

What are your thoughts about prescribing medical marijuana/cannabis to treat psychiatric disorders?

What are your feelings about the utility of cannabis in psychiatric practice?

With opioid use disorder, a tiny fraction of young patients are getting treatment, which would not be acceptable for any other medical condition.

The Department of Health and Human Services moves to reduce administrative procedural barriers to OUD treatment.

In an ADAPT-2 study, a combination of injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion showed promise for methamphetamine users.

Lessons from the opioid epidemic should be applied to cases of methamphetamine abuse.

An innovative program sends mental health first responders out onto the streets.

Tips for helping patients preserve their sobriety through the holiday season

Navigating the treatment options for comorbid schizophrenia and alcohol use

A drug developed to treat high blood pressure has unexpected benefits for patients with severe withdrawal symptoms.

Female emergency department patients with adverse childhood experiences were more likely to have substance use issues.

Sexual minorities with alcohol and tobacco addictions are at a higher risk for comorbid psychiatric disorders, bisexual women in particular.

Drug use is not only a consequence of addiction. It can also be a response to a deeper, existential problem.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way young adults use substances like vaping, alcohol, and marijuana?

Addiction occurs among doctors at the same rate as the general population. Dr Linville Meadows shares his own story with addiction recovery and rehabilitation.

The reported increase in opioid related overdoses, likely fed by the disturbances of COVID-19, necessitates a need for more widely-accessible Naloxone, an emergency life-saving treatment.

A significant proportion of incarcerated individuals struggle with with addiction. So what is being done about it?

While there are risks for prescribing benzodiazepines and opioids concurrently, experts agree there are times when it may be an appropriate treatment decision.

Veterans with chronic pain should consider reducing alcohol usage to combat symptoms.

The acute psychotomimetic effect of cannabis is transitory, but evidence indicates that the chronic use, especially if started in adolescence, contributes to the occurrence of schizophrenia.

Addiction among older adults is associated with worse medical outcomes and increased economic burden of care. The long-term use of psychoactive substances can result in adverse neurological outcomes even at therapeutic doses.

There is evidence in both patients with psychotic disorders and the general population that cannabis use is associated with adverse effects of psychopathology and cognition.

This innovative program at Massachusetts General Hospital addresses postoperative pain while preventing relapse in patients a history of opioid use disorder.

At a time when preserving public health is our highest priority, why would we want to encourage excessive alcohol use among the vulnerable?

How much progress has been made in the area of substance use disorders in the last 40 years?