THE TOYOTAZATION OF MEDICINE
There are many causes cited for the opioid crisis – false advertising and the pressuring of doctors by pharmaceutical companies, doctors looking for new ways to treat pain, the economy – but one addiction expert says those are just superficial explanations. According to Anna Lembke, a Stanford psychiatrist focused on addiction care, the real problem […]
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE RECEIVING MAT
According to an article published in Stat, a health-oriented news website produced by the same company as the Boston Globe, nursing homes in the Boston area are turning away patients on medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT, often called the gold standard of addiction care, is the use of FDA approved medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies […]
MEDICAID EXPANSION AND THE OPIOID CRISIS
In January 2018, a series of articles were written in the Wall Street Journal by the editorial board, based on a report by a Republic senator, denouncing Medicaid expansion as fuel for the opioid epidemic. One article, rather provocatively titled “The Opioid Dens of Medicaid,” claims that the so-called entitlement is facilitating substance abuse. The […]
PRESCRIPTION WARNING LABELS
We all know by now that the opioid epidemic was largely the result of over-prescription of painkillers by doctors and misuse of those prescriptions by patients. Part of the problem was pharmaceutical companies underselling the potential for addiction, but some of the blame rests on people ignoring the warnings. This is true for nearly any […]
FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO FIGHT THE OPIOID CRISIS
In June of 2018, U.S. House of Representatives passed the most expansive legislative action Congress has taken to date to address the opioid crisis. In a truly surprising 396-14 bipartisan vote, 58 bills were passed over the course of two weeks in a package called Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) […]
PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR TEENS
According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 15 million people age 12 or older used prescription drugs non-medically in the previous year, and 12.7 percent of new illegal drug users began with prescription pain relievers. If your child is prescribed medication, particularly pain pills, there are things you as a parent […]
COMMUNITY BASED REHAB
Substance abuse treatment works best with a combination of approaches. For many people, this can include medical detox, residential treatment, outpatient treatment, counseling or therapy, and any number of alternative approaches. One effective method for when a recovering addict returns home is centered around the community he or she lives in. Isolation is one of […]
DRUG PREVENTION AND THE DINNER TABLE
We all know that today’s families don’t spend nearly enough time together as a unit, without the interference of cell phones, tablets, or laptops, or a television playing in the background. It’s also true that most meals these days are eaten in restaurants, at work or school, or in the car, despite the many proven […]
THE LINK BETWEEN OPIOID ABUSE AND CONSERVATIVE POLITICS
The election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States surprised a lot people. Naturally, there were many political, economic, and religious considerations that went into the debates, as is the case for any election. You’d expect, in general, for more conservative people to vote Republican just on principle, and certain areas of […]
SOBER LIVING FACILITIES
Sober living facilities are group homes used by people recovering from substance abuse that serves as an interim environment between rehab and mainstream society. Sober living facilities fill the need for safe and supportive places in which people can live while they are in the early, vulnerable stages of recovery. They are primarily meant to provide housing for people […]