Research continues to shed light on the neurobiology of alcohol/other drug addiction. Modern research supports much of what was intuitively and experientially believed by the medical specialists who supported the Alcoholics Anonymous program in its earliest days. This program will describe a physician's view of alcoholism, as presented in the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous and updated … Continue reading The Doctor’s Opinion – Dawn Farm Ed Series
Category: Research
Abstinence—The Only Way to Beat Addiction?
What killed Philip Seymour Hoffman? According to Anne Fletcher, it wasn't the doctor who prescribed him the pain medication that began his relapse, it wasn't the prescribers of the combination of meds found in his body, it wasn't his discontinuing the behaviors that maintained his recovery for 23 years, it wasn't a drug dealer, and … Continue reading Abstinence—The Only Way to Beat Addiction?
Social connection as a mechanism of change
A new blog looks at social connection as an important mechanism for facilitating recovery: ...if having plenty of quality social connections is good for the next person in the street, is it also true for people trying to recover from addictive disorders? Mark Litt and colleagues from the University of Connecticut conducted a randomised trial on alcoholics … Continue reading Social connection as a mechanism of change
Closing down?
Findings from a study of adverse interpersonal effects from antidepressants were recently published online. The adverse interpersonal effects we reported by more than half of the subjects, though more than half of the subjects were on them for 3 years. The gated, full article described a cluster of reported side-effects that it described as "closing … Continue reading Closing down?
It will kill people as soon as it’s released
The upcoming release of Zohydro has been getting a lot of attention: The hydrocodone-based drug is the latest in a long line of painkillers called opioid analgesics. The FDA approved the medication last fall to treat chronic pain, and it is set to become available to patients in March. The drug was approved against the advice … Continue reading It will kill people as soon as it’s released
Cultivating Mindfulness to Support Recovery – Dawn Farm Education Series
From the Dawn Farm Education Series: Recent research confirms the efficacy of mindfulness practices to support attaining and sustaining recovery from substance use disorders. This video includes an overview of theory and research supporting mindfulness practices for people with addiction as well as practical techniques to cultivate mindfulness and apply mindfulness practices. The presentation defines … Continue reading Cultivating Mindfulness to Support Recovery – Dawn Farm Education Series
Empathy: The First Step To Improving Health Outcomes
A Health Affairs post points to a study that higher levels of physician empathy predicted better outcomes for diabetes patients. A 2012 study from Italy analyzed the health outcomes of more than 20,000 patients with diabetes, who were assigned to three different groups of physicians (pre-evaluated for their levels of empathy). The physicians who demonstrated … Continue reading Empathy: The First Step To Improving Health Outcomes
Medication: The smart-pill oversell
Given the simultaneous explosion in ADHD diagnosis, prescribed use of stimulants and non-medical use of stimulants, maybe it's time to look at the cost/benefit ratio. We'll it's clear that the benefits aren't all that. What to make of it? Researchers are beginning to address this paradox. How can medication that makes children sit still and … Continue reading Medication: The smart-pill oversell
Mind Over Matter: Beating Pain and Painkillers
Findings were recently published on a study of a mindfulness based intervention for chronic pain and opioid misuse. To test the treatment, 115 chronic pain patients were randomly assigned to eight weeks of either MORE or conventional support group therapy, and outcomes were measured through questionnaires at pre- and post-treatment, and again at a three-month … Continue reading Mind Over Matter: Beating Pain and Painkillers
‘Recovering Alcoholic’: Words That Stigmatize or Empower?
• The more the individual identified him/herself as a recovering alcoholic (addict) the higher was his/her level of self-efficacy.• Higher self-efficacy was associated with more months clean and/or sober.• The more the individual leaned toward the recovering identity the less likely she/he was to report having relapsed into drinking or drug use during the pervious … Continue reading ‘Recovering Alcoholic’: Words That Stigmatize or Empower?
Recovery Review 