Opioid Crisis Surges in DC
The opioid epidemic that has driven fatal drug overdose numbers to new record highs year after year shows no signs of abating any time soon.
News and Articles
Understanding the Causation of Ethical Breakdowns
Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern a person's behavior. Most people acquire such a set of principles from their family and their teachers early in life. All too many, however, seem to forget their moral moorings when pursuing career goals.
Polysubstance Use and Social Factors Associated with Opioid Overdose Deaths
Polysubstance opioid overdose is increasingly common in the US, concludes a new study led by Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction. It shows that opioid-related overdose deaths involving another substance is now the norm, not the exception, in Massachusetts.
When Doctors Behave Like Drug Dealers
Approximately 130 Americans die every single day of an opioid-related overdose in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal and local law enforcement officials have been working hard trying to disrupt the flow of illicit opioids. It becomes a more difficult task if medical professionals are directly involved in the criminal distribution of narcotic drugs.
Polydrug Use in Patients Using Buprenorphine
“Medicated-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of FDA-approved medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a "whole-patient" approach to the treatment of substance use disorders,” reads the description of MAT on the website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA).
Sex Addiction: Diagnosis and Treatment
After the plethora of recent sex scandals, a growing number of celebrities have sought treatment in sex addiction clinics. While many people assume sex addiction is a recognized psychiatric disorder, mental health professionals continue to debate the validity of the diagnosis. It has not (yet) been included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the diagnostic manual widely used by researchers and clinicians in the United States. Nevertheless, it is estimated that sex addiction affects 3–6 percent of the population.
America’s New Vaping Epidemic
Twice as many high school students used nicotine-tinged electronic cigarettes in 2018 compared with the year before—the largest ever recorded jump in the past 43 years for any adolescent substance use outcome in the US. Researchers from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research released the substance use data from their annual Monitoring the Future study, which showed that about 21 percent of 12th-graders reported vaping nicotine in the past 30 days.
What’s Up, Doc? We Have an Opiate Crisis...
There is a great deal of interest in what the authorities and the medical community are doing about the opiate crisis in America. In her presentation as part of the Williamsburg Place Lecture Series, Martha E. Early, Ph.D., assistant professor for family and community medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, gave an overview of the ongoing epidemic and how medical professionals and lawmakers are reacting to it.
Food Addiction: Eating Disorder or Substance Use Disorder?
Are certain eating disorders basically food addictions comparable to substance use disorders (SUDs) such as alcoholism or heroin abuse? That is the question discussed by Marty Lerner, Ph.D., in his presentation as part of the Williamsburg Place Lecture Series. Lerner is a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. He is the CEO of Milestones In Recovery in Florida.
The Anxiety Epidemic Among America’s Youth
American teens and young adults appear to be struggling with mental health issues in increasing numbers. According to research published by the American Psychological Association, the percentage of teens and young adults with depression, anxiety and other mental health problems has increased dramatically over the past decade—a pattern not seen in older adults.