Greater Good has a nice piece on the benefits of helping others in addiction recovery: In recent years, a growing body of research has found that helping others brings measurable physical and psychological benefits to the helper. Building on this work, Pagano is exploring the particular and sometimes surprising benefits of altruism for people battling alcoholism and … Continue reading Everyone, from Yale to jail
Tag: Substance dependence
Identity and addiction
The White Noise had a post on identity and addiction. The blogger ends up expressing some discomfort with the way many recovering addicts make their addiction and recovery so central to their identity: I have mixed feelings on AA. I believe in camaraderie and community in times of strain and crisis. I believe in cultivating the … Continue reading Identity and addiction
More on the DSM-V
The Fix has a good opinion piece on the DSM-V, praising its movement away from dependence and abuse. The focus on dependence also implied that cocaine—which does not produce physical dependence—isn’t “really” addictive. That lulled many people in the '80s—including yours truly—to think that cocaine wasn’t likely to be hard to kick. We all know better now. … Continue reading More on the DSM-V
Treating depression and substance use: no significant difference from control
Another study finds treatment as usual to be just as effective as specialized CBT: Few integrated substance use and depression treatments have been developed for delivery in outpatient substance abuse treatment settings. To meet the call for more “transportable” interventions, we conducted a pilot study to test a group cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression and … Continue reading Treating depression and substance use: no significant difference from control
Trauma and Chemical Use and Addiction
From the Dawn Farm Education Series:
Love First!
Our friends at Love First recently launched a major overhaul of their website. I has articles and a large collection of free videos for families who are concerned about loved ones. It's our top site for families asking questions about how to help a loved on with a drug or alcohol problem. Check it out … Continue reading Love First!
Primary care is good for recovery
Primary care visits are associated with better recovery outcomes: A yearly primary care visit was also positively associated with remission (OR, 1.39), as was continuing care (OR, 2.34), defined as: having at least 1 yearly primary care visit, completing substance abuse treatment or receiving further treatment, receiving alcohol or drug treatment when the alcohol or … Continue reading Primary care is good for recovery
effective…as long as it is maintained
This summarythat recent buprenorphine study suggests that the muddy waters are settling [emphasis mine]: This study shows, yet again, that buprenorphine / naloxone is an effective treatment for opioid dependence as long as it is maintained, and that a tapering detoxification strategy, regardless of duration, fails the majority of patients. The summary then goes on … Continue reading effective…as long as it is maintained
Missing the point
The American Journal of Public Heath (behind a paywall) has a new study looking at 2 year trajectories of residents in a "wet shelter". The found that the residents reduced their drinking by 40%. Reducing drinking in these cases is a very good thing. To me, there are several important questions but the first might … Continue reading Missing the point
What Vietnam Taught Us
I've noticed an uptick in book, news and blog references to heroin addiction among returning Vietnam vets. (A Google news search suggests that this perception is accurate. I suspect it's because it offers a narrative that's consistent with the current monoculture.) It's claimed that this offers important lessons about addiction and behavior change. In May of … Continue reading What Vietnam Taught Us
Recovery Review 