Keeping you in-the-know about addiction and recovery.
Could a Simple Brain Scan Determine How Much Addiction Treatment Is Needed?
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Researchers at the Department of Health Informatics at Rutgers University have just published a study in NeuroImage: Clinical detailing the results of their efforts to scan the brains of patients suffering from opioid use disorder and comparing those scans with those from healthy volunteers. The MRI scans
Hope Has Arrived in RI
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Very soon Aware Recovery Care will begin offering its unique in-home addiction treatment program to Rhode Island residents. Rhode Island is the nation’s smallest state, but, like all states, it has its fair share of alcohol and drug abuse. In 2020, fatal drug overdoses rose by 25% from
COVID-19’s Impact on Adolescent Alcohol and Cannabis Use
Reviewed by: gbaumbach There’s been a debate for some years around the idea that limiting access to a drug or alcohol can reduce its use. Well, the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a great test of that thesis. The results? According to a study analyzing data taken from high
The Link Between Depression and Alcohol Abuse
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Specialists in addiction care know that alcoholics seeking sobriety may struggle with depression. Drinking is then often resumed as a form of self-medication for that depression. A study by researchers at the University of Illinois/Chicago’s (UIC) Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics looked at the problem by
More Evidence Male and Female Brains React Differently to Alcohol
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Should men and women receive different treatments for alcohol abuse syndrome, often referred to as alcoholism? That’s a question under debate among specialists in the field. But why would distinct treatment tracks be necessary? Researchers have known for many years that abstinent alcoholic men have less brain
New Research on Drug Therapies for Opioid Use Disorder
Reviewed by: gbaumbach A new global review on the effectiveness of drug therapies for opioid use disorder reveals some interesting new data. Perhaps the most thought-provoking of all is the data showing that drug therapies alone, while reducing overdoses and deaths, may serve a largely palliative function. According to one
Opioids for Post-Covid Syndrome?
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Researchers at the University of Washington are sounding an alarm about the excessive use of opioid drugs to treat the discomfort sometimes experienced by patients with post-covid syndrome. Think about that for a moment… Physicians in the U.S. are prescribing opioids for post-covid patients. And they are
Does That Smartphone Paired Alcohol Breath Tester Really Work?
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Americans drink and drive 121 million times a year. And it’s a well-documented fact that drunk driving accounts for almost 30% of all traffic deaths annually. So, it’s not surprising that apps with accompanying hardware (also known as breathalyzers) are being marketed that allow drivers to determine
FDA Announces Approval of Higher Dose Naloxone
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Naloxone is a drug widely used to treat people suffering an opioid overdose. There is no question it’s a lifesaver. Trouble is – as street drugs get more potent, naloxone at currently available dosages doesn’t always help. And that’s a problem. The FDA has just approved an
That Visit to the Dentist May Be More Dangerous than You Think
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Have you ever been to the dentist to have a tooth pulled or a root canal procedure and received a prescription for opioids to manage post-surgical pain? Seems innocent enough – right? Researchers from the University of Michigan have just published a study showing overdose rates two-
Confirmation of the Pandemic’s Deadly Overdose Toll
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Addiction experts are now confirming what anecdotal evidence has long suggested. COVID-19 has produced the most significant spike in deadly drug overdoses in decades. From October 2019 through September 2020, more than 87,000 Americans died from a fatal drug overdose. That’s a 29% increase over the previous
Could a Change in Diet Help with Alcohol Withdrawal?
Reviewed by: gbaumbach Anyone who has gone through alcohol withdrawal knows the symptoms of withdrawal can be challenging. According to WebMD, those symptoms can include: Mild symptoms that usually show up as early as 6 hours after you put down your glass. They can include: Anxiety Shaky hands Headache Nausea