Expert Articles

DrugRehab.org War on Opioids A Nation Mobilizes

War on Opioids: A Nation Mobilizes

November 08, 2017

America’s opioid plague has no mercy. Drug overdoses are killing more Americans than car accidents, gun deaths or total U.S. casualties in the Vietnam War. “Equal to September 11th every three weeks,” is how one presidential commission describes the nation’s death toll from drug overdoses ...

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DrugRehab.org Amy TraylorDrugRehab.org M. Zachary Rosenthal
DrugRehab.org A Virtual Platform for Real Recovery

A Virtual Platform for Real Recovery

April 05, 2017

Sensory-Rich Technology Helps Substance Users Confront Triggers, Control Cravings You enter a barren house that harbors a slew of public health hazards. Peeling wallboard and blackish mold taint the bathroom. A young man sits on the dingy floor next to the toilet, smoking crack cocaine. ...

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Richard Buckman
Hello, Holidays: Creating a Sober Game Plan

Hello, Holidays: Creating a Sober Game Plan

November 07, 2016

Richard Buckman often grew anxious as Thanksgiving Day approached. He spent years longing for a blissful – or even civil – family holiday. “I had recalled drinking myself into oblivion several times in an effort to block out uncomfortable memories,” he says. “In sobriety, I ...

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Katherine L. Beebe, Ph.D.Jack B. Stein, MSW, Ph.D.Michael Frost, M.D.
Implant May Spur Recovery from Opioid Addiction

Implant May Spur Recovery from Opioid Addiction

July 14, 2016

FDA approves Probuphine, a six-month maintenance treatment Death from opioid abuse – including heroin and prescription painkillers – is at an all-time high in the United States. But a new treatment option could be a “game changer” in the fight against opioid addiction, experts say. ...

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Kelly J. Clark, M.D.Siva Sundaram
White Coats For Recovery

White Coats For Recovery

June 24, 2016

Medical students confront the opioid crisis, extol the rescue medicine naloxone. Every 19 minutes, someone in America dies from an opioid overdose. But a simple lifesaving act – giving a shot of the antidote naloxone – can quickly revive many drug users from the brink ...

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Playing With Fire: Study Shows Teens Abuse ADHD Drugs

June 08, 2016

More than half of teenagers who use prescription stimulants such as Adderall® are abusing the drugs for nonmedical purposes, according to a study by the University of Florida. The study analyzed data from a national survey of 11,048 youth ages 10-18 (the National Monitoring of ...

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A New Counter Culture: The Sober College Experience

April 11, 2016

More schools are creating formal recovery programs for students battling addictions Anne Thompson Heller is the archetype of a serious scholar: she double-majored in sociology and metro urban studies, earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, and is well on her way toward a Ph.D. ...

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Daniel Raymond
Hepatitis Outbreak, Looming Public Health Crisis

Hepatitis Outbreak: A Looming Public Health Crisis?

March 23, 2016

Rural communities face hepatitis outbreak among injection drug users A hepatitis epidemic is emerging in Appalachia in the wake of a harrowing trend: more rural drug users are sharing dirty needles to inject heroin and crushed opioid pain pills. Health experts fear the practice could ...

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Power of a Spiritual Path

January 13, 2016

What’s Good for the Soul is Good for Sobriety, research shows A deep sense of gratitude. Living with purpose. Becoming one with nature. Belief in a divine being. Whatever spirituality means to you, science tells us it has real benefits for addiction recovery. A life-affirming ...

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The Adolescent Brain And Addiction

November 05, 2015

A Light Into the Adolescent Brain: Landmark Study to Explore Impact of Substance Use on America’s Youth Today’s teens and tweens have greater access to marijuana, in higher potencies, than ever before. They also use more alcohol when they binge drink, and puff e-cigarettes that ...

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Michael Owens, PhDDr. Michael TaffeJane C. Maxwell, Ph.D.Thomas R. Kosten, M.D.
A New Weapon In The Meth Crisis

A New Weapon in The Meth Crisis

October 14, 2015

Vaccine May Lessen The Human Tragedy of America’s Meth Epidemic A vaccine that could block the effects of methamphetamine – one of the world’s most addictive and toxic drugs – has shown promise in pre-clinical studies, researchers say. It’s an important advance that could break ...

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Helping Others Helps Your Recovery From Addiction

June 15, 2015

It’s not over when you’re sober. That’s the mantra of an academic research project that illuminates the link between service and recovery from addiction. Helping others — even with small tasks — can help you stay sober, according to a collection of studies on service ...

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College Trend is Risky Business

June 04, 2015

Students Fool the Body, Face Health Dangers by Combining Alcohol & Energy Drinks A new college ritual is producing the “wide-awake drunk” — a perilous state that can occur when students combine alcohol and energy drinks. The practice increases the risks for alcohol poisoning, driving ...

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William R. Miller, Ph.D.
Motivational Interviewing for Addiction Treatment

Motivational Interviewing for Addiction Treatment

May 22, 2015

A brighter future often dovetails recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. But making bold changes can be daunting: at least 40-60 percent of people slip back into substance use in their first year after rehab, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. If you’re ...

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Dr. Gregory Simon M.DSarah Hartz
Double Danger: Mental Illness and Addiction Often Linked

Double Danger: Mental Illness, Addiction Often Linked

May 01, 2015

Every day, millions of Americans grapple with a menacing combination:  mental illness that co-exists with drug or alcohol addiction. The challenge of a “dual diagnosis” is quite common, affecting an estimated 8.9 million adults who have both a mental and substance use disorder, according to ...

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Bankole A. Johnson, Professor of Psychiatry, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Director of the Clinical Neurobehavioral Center University of Maryland School of MedicineHenry R. Kranzler
A Promising Treatment for Alcohol Addiction Topiramate

Topiramate: A Promising Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

April 17, 2015

A medication approved to treat epilepsy could help people with alcohol use disorder, according to several research studies.  Topiramate, an anti-seizure drug sold under the brand name Topamax, has been shown to reduce alcohol cravings and heavy drinking — even in people who are unable ...

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Brian Fingerson PharmacistPaula Davies Scimeca, RN, MS,Specialist in medication assisted treatment of addictive disordersGregory Skipper MD
Addicted Healthcare Professionals

The Addicted Healthcare Professional

March 18, 2015

 A Perfect Storm: Job Stress, Drug Access & Code of Silence Feed Addiction in Health Professionals Every day for four years now, pharmacist Jake Nichols calls the testing lab to see if he’s been chosen for a random drug screen.  It’s a condition of his state-mandated ...

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New Ways to Prevent Addiction Relapse

Two Steps Forward: New Ways to Prevent Addiction Relapse

February 12, 2015

The path to sobriety often winds through some wrenching battles with relapse.  Slipping back into addiction is so common that at least 40-60 percent of people abuse drugs or alcohol in their first year after rehab. But there’s encouraging news for anyone in recovery. Neuroscience ...

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Fighting the Stigma of Addiction

January 21, 2015

Americans View Drug Addiction Far More Negatively Than Mental Illness, Study Shows Kim Stalcup embraces many roles in her busy California life.  She’s a respected mental health counselor in Fresno, a volunteer at the local Anglican Church, a proud grandmother, homeowner and full-time graduate student ...

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Retrain the Brain For Lifelong Recovery From Addiction

December 22, 2014

Heal the body, heal the brain. It’s a mantra with profound meaning for anyone in recovery, since recent studies show it’s possible to reverse some types of addiction-related brain damage. “The brain is very forgiving,” says Dr. Ralph Carson, an addictions expert and author of ...

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Urge Surfing: Mindfulness Techniques to Prevent Relapse

December 11, 2014

“Surf the Urge” To Wipe Out Relapse Powerful drug cravings can trigger a downward spiral that’s all too familiar with those in recovery: A fierce struggle to resist. Denial and justification. Relapse and regret. Perhaps it’s time to stop fighting so hard. A mini-meditation known ...

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) For Addiction Recovery

December 09, 2014

“Make not your thoughts your prisons” — William Shakespeare “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” — James Allen, author of the 1902 classic, “As a Man Thinketh” “The mind is everything. What you ...

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