Heroin and Opioids

Obama Administration Announces Additional Actions to Address the Prescription Opioid Abuse and Heroin Epidemic

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Intervention, Public Health

The President recently proposed $1.1 billion in additional funding for opioid use disorder treatment. Part of this plan involves expanding access to treatment; for example, buprenorphine-prescribing physicians were previously limited to seeing 100 patients, but are now allowed to see 200 patients in order to extend care to more of those who need it. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is coordinating trainings to certify more physicians to prescribe buprenorphine, and the Department of Health and Human Services is spreading funds to underserved community health centers all over the country with the intention of increasing substance use disorder …

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Teen Athletes More Likely To Abuse Painkillers

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Public Health, Young Adults/Teens/College-Aged

Teen athletes are frequently prescribed narcotics for sports-related injuries, making them prime candidates for opioid addiction and abuse. One study indicated that this demographic is 50% more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than their non-athletic peers. This shocking statistic can be attributed in part to their desire to get back to the sport as soon as possible after injury in order to please the coach, their family, etc. Additionally, the area of the brain responsible for reasoning and impulse control is not yet fully developed in teenagers, leaving them more susceptible to engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as opioid abuse. …

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ASAM Safe Methadone Induction and Stabilization

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Research/Trends/Statistics

After an extensive literature review, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) concluded that deaths occur during methadone induction primarily because of high or rapidly increasing dosing and/or adverse drug interactions. The Methadone Action Group has since developed treatment recommendations to minimize risk through clinical caution and awareness, along with general patient education. Download the report here

CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Medical Consequences, Prevention, Public Health, Research/Trends/Statistics

The CDC recently released their guidelines regarding opioid prescriptions for individuals with chronic pain. The opioid endemic is, of course, concerning and requires immediate attention, but not in the form of restricting access to treatment. Individuals with chronic pain need and deserve appropriate care; they should not be forced to jump through hoops for their health. Read More Here

Outpatient Suboxone Treatment vs. Methadone Treatment

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Heroin and Opioids, Outpatient, Suboxone Treatment

Addictive drugs directly activate the brain’s reward pathway, a system involved in behavior reinforcement and memory production. Activation of the reward system can be so intense that normal activities, like eating and sleeping, may be forgotten and/or neglected. Drugs of abuse characteristically enhance dopamine signaling in an area of the reward pathway called the nucleus accumbens (NA.) The NA is sometimes called the “pleasure center” of the brain. It releases dopamine when the brain senses a rewarding stimulus, such as a narcotic, and this rush of chemicals reinforces the behavior that caused the sensation, for example ingesting a pill. Thus, …

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New Study Highlights Risks of Combining Benzodiazepines and Opioids

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Heroin and Opioids, Research/Trends/Statistics

A new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that co-prescribing benzodiazepines with opioids increases the patient’s risk of overdose by four times that of opioids alone. Even patients on low doses of opioid analgesics have this increased chance of fatality. Researching physicians suggest that prescribers should thoroughly consider their options and weigh the risks and benefits before prescribing these drugs. Safer alternatives are usually available and oftentimes improve quality of life more effectively than opioids and benzodiazepines do. Read More Here

Finally, the American Medical Association Responds to the Opioid Endemic

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Prevention

Over 250,000 people in the United States have died from opioid overdoses in the past 15 years. An average of 43,982 people die annually because of opioids, which amounts to a shocking 120 deaths per day. These deaths are largely preventable, but our nation has done little in the way of intervention. The American Medical Association (AMA) can no longer ignore the mounting and senseless loss of life in this nation, so on February 17, 2016 the AMA president finally made a statement. Dr. Steven J. Stack, MD suggests that physicians take a number of steps to deal with the …

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December 2015’s Dream Journal

April 6, 2020 / 12 Steps, Addiction Science, Art Therapy, Chicago, Dream Journal, Heroin and Opioids, Holistic Care and Treatment, Inpatient, Intensive Outpatient, Medical Consequences, Mental Health, Mindfulness, New Orleans, Nutrition, Outer Banks, Outpatient, Prevention, Recreation, Research/Trends/Statistics, Sleep Hygiene

Dream Journal Volume XXXV / December 2015 Note from Dr. B. The holidays can be a difficult time for individuals in recovery: frustrating family members, crazy Christmas parties, stressful shopping trips, etc. You don’t have to let the season get you down though! There are plenty of ways to stay centered and sober during the winter season. Make sure to listen to your body and avoid letting yourself get hungry. Maintain a regular meal plan full of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Eating a plateful of cookies may seem like a good idea when you’re at an event, but the inevitable …

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November 2015’s Dream Journal

April 6, 2020 / 12 Steps, Addiction Science, Alcohol, Art Therapy, Chicago, Co-Occurring Disorders/Comorbidity, Criminal Justice, Dream Journal, Drug Testing, Drugs and the Brain, Heroin and Opioids, Holistic Care and Treatment, Inpatient, Intensive Outpatient, Intervention, Medical Consequences, Mental Health, Mindfulness, New Orleans, Outer Banks, Outpatient, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Prevention, Recreation, Research/Trends/Statistics

Dream Journal Volume XXXIV / NOV 2015 Note from Dr. B. The ongoing opioid overdose crisis has prompted the CDC to take action in the form of developing new guidelines for qualified prescribers. First and foremost, the CDC stresses that opioid therapy should be utilized only if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Opioids can vastly improve functionality and quality of life, but the benefits must be weighed against the risks of tolerance, addiction, overdose, etc. If opioids are absolutely necessary, the prescribing physician and patient should work together to formulate a safe plan of approach and establish realistic treatment …

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