Addiction & Substance Use

Here: A 10-minute podcast on the spirit and principles that underlie motivational interviewing and the key skills and tools to encourage positive behavioral change.

An introduction to the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and its coverage of topics such as alcohol use disorders, e-cigarettes, prescription opioid use and abuse, cannabis use, stimulant use, medical marijuana, gambling, and opioid antagonist therapy to prevent overdose.

An overview of select topics in clinical psycho-oncology, including assessment and management of delirium and brain lesions, mood and anxiety disorders, medication adverse effects, and existential death anxiety.

The use of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence is on the rise. However, buprenorphine withdrawal has its own withdrawal symptoms that in many cases can be as severe as symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

The psychopath has the image of a cold, heartless, inhuman being. But do all psychopaths show a complete lack of normal emotional capacities and empathy?

Maltreatment at an early age casts a very long shadow. Here: a look at the long-term effects of early childhood trauma.

In a world in which substance use disorders are no longer suffered in isolation, treating addiction is a challenging journey with obstacles, intermittent failures, and life-altering successes. A poem on drug withdrawal expressed through the eyes of a fellow in addiction medicine.

The elephant in the room: the problem of iatrogenic opioid use disorder is being ignored.

There probably isn't anyone who is not a Robin Williams fan and admired his wonderful talent. Everybody experiences his loss and death as something personal. More in this podcast.

A guide for helping patients understand heroin, its history, and how it impacts our communities.

Severe alcohol dependence and frequent relapses in this patient prompts his son to produce a durable power of attorney for health care. He demands that the physicians declare his father to lack decision-making capacity. More in this ethics case report.

Very few heavy drinkers receive treatment and fewer still are prescribed medications with demonstrated efficacy. Here, a summary of current research, key takeaways, and highlights from a study on topiramate treatment for heavy drinkers by the lead author of that study.

In addition to the approval of novel medications for alcohol use disorders, the past several years have been marked by an emphasis on development, standardization, and dissemination of new behavioral therapies, including computer-based interventions.

There is increasing evidence and support for medications for alcohol use disorders to be used in regular clinical practice, and not to be limited to specialty substance abuse settings. Here, special considerations for pharmacological management.

In the US, 38,000 drug overdose deaths occur per year, and it is estimated that 75% are opioid-related. The good news is that addiction is a treatable disease. More in this discussion of opioid addiction, the use of naloxone, and Good Samaritan laws.

Clinicians will be drawn in by author Charles R. Cross's personal experience documenting, Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain. Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, committed suicide 20 years ago this month.

What expanded roles should psychiatrists be playing in the provision of proper pain management without taking their eyes off the issue of prescription opioid misuse and abuse? Insights here.

Alcohol misuse in older adults is often underdiagnosed in medical practice. This age group is rapidly moving into the treatment realm of the practicing general, geriatric, and addiction psychiatrist.

Substance abuse and addiction are commonly associated with an increased risk of suicide. Alcohol abuse plays a key role in suicide attempts and completions; prescription drugs are a close second. The causes of suicide for men and women are different but the suicide rates are equally staggering.

Many patients report that smoking helps them with their stress and psychological disturbances. However, smoking may actually worsen some of these symptoms. When is the right time for your patients to quit?

Why do so many die as a consequence of addiction? Sadly-and in some cases disastrously-affected individuals are never offered alternative approaches after one option fails. More in this commentary.

What medications are FDA approved for alcohol dependence? Take the quiz and learn more.

Many barriers can prevent physicians who have a substance use disorder from obtaining the help they need. However, in many states, all is not lost for physicians who willingly participate in treatment. Here, signs, symptoms, and intervention steps.

Pathological gambling is a common psychiatric condition that can present with a variety of symptoms. Treatment recommendations available for pathological gamblers, as well as resources for patients and their families in this Tipsheet.

How prevalent is dependence on amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, and other illicit drugs across the world? What is the associated disease burden? Insights here.