A while back, David Best and Dan Lubman published an article called ‘The Recovery Paradigm: A Model of Hope and Change for Alcohol and Drug Addiction’. I had reason to read it again this week and found much to encourage me in it. Here are some key messages from the piece with my comments in … Continue reading Hope and change for addiction
Tag: Treatment
Clinicians’ attitudes to recovery
Which teachers were the best when you were at school? Likely the ones who believed in you, connected with you, who had a vision for where you could go and who enthusiastically helped you get there. I remember struggling with maths at school - I was always a writer, not an adder. Unfortunately I needed … Continue reading Clinicians’ attitudes to recovery
Rehab in Scotland: joining things up
There’s an urgent need to improve our response to Scotland’s drug problems. The focus has quite rightly been on harm reduction interventions, but some (including me) have also called for better access to residential rehab as part of the spectrum of approaches. While clearly not a panacea, could residential rehab make an impact on drug … Continue reading Rehab in Scotland: joining things up
Weaponizing Stigma: ‘people don’t die from overdoses’
Sean Fogler, a doctor in recovery writing on Stat, explains how his dual roles – that of a physician and that of a person with experience of addiction and recovery – gave him a unique insight into attitudes to patients with substance use disorders and mental health problems in health care systems. He gives evidence … Continue reading Weaponizing Stigma: ‘people don’t die from overdoses’
Add in mutual aid for better outcomes
The majority of treatment for drug and alcohol problems is outpatient. Trying to achieve abstinence can be tough and some evidence suggests it is more likely to be the goal of clients than the aspiration of professionals for their clients. How well do clients do? This study by Gerald Cochrane and colleagues from New York looked at … Continue reading Add in mutual aid for better outcomes
Families: forgotten in addiction treatment?
Addiction is an equal opportunity condition. Families get to suffer alongside the person with the problem. But as Alex Copello and Jim Orford noted in a past Addiction editorial, there’s a paradox here that needs attention. Firstly, evidence suggests that when families are involved by treatment services, retention in treatment is better. Retention in treatment is … Continue reading Families: forgotten in addiction treatment?
Acomprosate – A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Recently published and found no "evidence of efficacy for acamprosate compared to placebo". However, "A goal of abstinence was significantly associated with improved drinking outcomes". Efficacy of Acamprosate for Alcohol Dependence in a Family Medicine Setting in the United States: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Background Acamprosate has been found to enhance rates of complete … Continue reading Acomprosate – A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Addiction 101
From the Dawn Farm Education Series: Addiction 101 from Dawn Farm on Vimeo.