Addiction & Substance Use

The cannabinoids (particularly CBD) have been hailed as non-addictive solutions to using escalating doses of opioids for chronic pain. More in this research update.

An interplay between genetic and early environmental factors contributes to the development of substance abuse.

New findings on a not-so-new epidemic have two key implications for psychiatrists.

Medical professionals don’t want to prescribe too many pain killers, which may contribute to the epidemic of opioid misuse, yet they don’t want patients to needlessly suffer.

Cocaine, psychostimulant, and opioid deaths continue to climb, and polysubstance opioid overdose deaths outnumber opioid-only deaths-these and other reports headline the latest developments.

How many of us, during clinical encounters with patients, focus on their families, their social communities, their sources of human contact and support?

Our job as clinicians, our privilege, is to help our patients stay alive until they can engage and benefit from good treatment.

Despite growing awareness and dangers of opioid diversion, misuse among the aging population has skyrocketed.

On December 27, I learned that my pregnancy would not come to fruition with a baby for me. The healing process begins for me as it has for countless women before me. More in Portrait of a Psychiatrist.

A quick overview of the latest advances in substance use and abuse research.

A small exploratory study provides a first look at the role of social relationships in maintaining sobriety.

Many have said that truth is the first casualty of war. In the war on drugs, truth died before the first shot was fired.

"He'll just have to hit bottom." That bit of outdated advice can be terrifying. How do clinicians trying to help the person with an addiction who refuses to set foot in our office render assistance?

Opioids, suicide, and Alzheimer disease all play a large role in the life expectancy drop reported by the CDC.

This slideshow provides information about the compounds, clinically relevant attributes, approximate dose, and data under study.

Dependence on alcohol and tobacco or illicit drugs is generally higher in men, but the gender gap is narrowing at an alarming rate, especially in adolescents.

Should hallucinogens such as ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD be considered as treatment options for patients with mental illness?

Symptoms of alcohol and drug intoxication and withdrawal may resemble symptoms of bipolar disorder, making it difficult to diagnose and treat.

Seven common questions about addiction clinicians regularly hear-as well as the answers.

Although these medication-assisted treatments have been approved by the FDA and have strong empiric evidence for superior outcomes, it is important to know the good and the bad.

What factors predict if a homeless person will be able to engage in supported housing to attain and retain an apartment? What supportive services facilitate permanent exits from homelessness?

Research published more than 25 years ago was already reporting problems with opioid analgesics.

The short vignettes in this quiz highlight the importance of understanding the delicate balance between risks and benefits when prescribing opioids.

A drug once seen as a widespread danger to society is now experiencing renewed interest as a treatment for medical conditions, including a number of mental health conditions. This brief review explores 5 key issues clinicians can consider when encountering the therapeutic cannabis user.

In this age of chat rooms and social media, an ever-growing number of psychiatric patients use the internet to find their treatment community online.