The latest news, tips and updates
from The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
People who suffer from both mental illness and a substance use disorder often receive care from two very different types of systems, creating confusion for patients, their families and clinicians, says Ken Duckworth, MD, Medical Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Substance abuse treatment providers must take steps now to get ready for the influx of new patients they will begin to see in January 2014 as a result of the Affordable Care Act, according to an expert speaking at the National Conference on Addiction Disorders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the country’s sharp rise in overdoses over the last decade from prescription painkillers, or opioids, as an epidemic. But it can be easy to lose sight of what “epidemic” truly means.
Addiction experts are advocating for a more medical approach to addiction treatment, instead of relying on 12-step programs, according to The Los Angeles Times.
If you’re a parent, take the time to talk to your children about the harm caused by medicine abuse, and educate yourself on the signs of abuse, encourages Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy.
A new study finds elevated rates of suicides and overdose deaths in the month after people have been released from the hospital for substance abuse treatment. Researchers found death rates were substantially higher for those who had been out of the hospital for less than one month, compared with those who had been out for at least one year.
A national training program launched last year is seeking to address the scarcity of physicians trained in treating addiction. The program, sponsored by the American Board of Addiction Medicine, aims to attract more doctors to the field, The Washington Post reports.
In case you missed any of our thought-provoking columns this summer, from individuals such as Rep. Mary Bono Mack of California, Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Dr. Sharon Stanliff of the Harm Reduction Coalition and other industry experts, please find our top 10 features of the summer here.
Addiction to heroin and morphine can be blocked, suggests a new study conducted in rodents. The study revealed a key mechanism in the immune system that amplifies addiction to opioids.
Teenagers who receive substance abuse treatment at facilities with comprehensive mental health services fare better one year later, compared with those treated at facilities with fewer such services, or none at all, a new study finds.
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