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Prescription Drug and Heroin Epidemic A Central New York Perspective
Like much of the country, New York State is experiencing a public health crisis of a magnitude never before seen related to prescription opiate and heroin overdose and addiction. While efforts to address this crisis are multifaceted, many of those in need of treatment are unable to get the help...
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Seven Steps to Fix the Opioid Addiction Crisis Now: We Already Have Most of the Tools We Need
Recently, Professional Voices revisited an issue that The Fix has been focused on since its inception: the public health debacle caused by the overprescribing of opioid pain medications, and the related increase in heroin use and overdose, which has contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of...
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The Opioid Addiction Epidemic: An Interview with Andrew Kolodny, MD, National Expert on the Current Opioid Addiction Epidemic in the United States
Ira Minot (IM): We are honored to have this opportunity to speak with you Dr. Kolodny. Our readers are anxious to learn about the current opioid epidemic. Andrew Kolodny (AK): I am very pleased that Behavioral Health News is devoting this issue to the current opioid epidemic. Opioid addiction is...
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Creating Innovative Programs for Young Adults in Treatment
As more opioid-addicted young adults are entering treatment facilities, many addiction professionals are seeking alternative ways to guide this demographic into recovery. Marworth Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Treatment Center’s young adult population (ages 18-25) doubled from 159 in 2009 to...
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One Runner at a Time: We Are Slowly Eroding the Stigma of Addiction
Recovery from substance use disorders often resembles training for a marathon. It’s a long process that requires discipline, focus, and ongoing effort. As addiction experts and mental health professionals gain greater insight into the behavioral-physical health connection, fitness programs are...
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Realizing My Purpose
I often wonder what my mom would think of the journey of my life and the man I am today. She raised me well, as a single parent to me and my older brother. She passed away when I turned 13, and my life began to spiral out of control. My brother and I were taken in by my aunt, but despite her best...
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Bullied by Addiction
It’s sort of embarrassing to have an eating disorder. It seems like such a silly problem to have. “Just stop it!” Well, unfortunately, it’s not that easy. In fact, it is not easy at all. Other addictions can be avoided, not easily, but one can live quite successfully without smoking or...
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SBIRT: Stopping Addiction Before It Starts
The facts are clear: in our country, there is an imminent need for substance abuse prevention and intervention as early in the teen years as possible. A recent study in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that the 15 percent of U.S. high school students who abuse drugs and alcohol began...
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Addiction 2.0
When we think about addiction, we associate the word with an addiction to substances, such alcohol, tobacco, pills or other drugs. But in recent years, researchers have been studying behavioral addiction, an overwhelming desire to engage in a particular behavior or action. Some of the...
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Brief Overview of Treatment and Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
Substance abuse and psychiatric conditions frequently co-exist. According to NAMI, most mental health services are not adequately equipped to address both conditions. This makes treatment and prevention of substance abuse in the presence of mental illness a challenging task due to several moving...
