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Addiction research – Who are we studying?
I teach a class on the psychology of addiction (Psych 477 at California State University in Long Beach) and as I have been preparing the lectures something has become very clear to me – textbooks patently gloss over important details about the addiction research they cite. One of the most obvious gaps I’ve noticed this…
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Overcoming mental health problems is more than possible
Addicts and others with mental health issues continuously feel as if they need to hide their problems as well as hide from them. But an ongoing west-coast (U.C.L.A. and U.S.C.) study with a group of mental health patients suggests that hiding may be the wrong approach. The participants in the study, all successful individuals with…
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Loss, but not absence, of control – How choice and addiction are related
In a recent post the notion that “loss of control” is an addiction myth was raised by our contributing author, Christopher Russell, a thoughtful graduate student studying substance abuse in the U.K. Though I obviously personally believe in control- and choice-relevant neurological mechanisms playing a part in addiction, this conversation is a common one both…
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Compulsive choices in addiction?
Is addiction an issue of bad choices or is it a case of biological, compulsive, necessity? If you know anything about me and my views, you know that I think little of anyone who tries to separate these. I see and talk to people all the time who are stuck in compulsive behavioral patterns but…
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Is personal experience necessary for successful addiction treatment?
In the “recovery” community, one often hears about how the best person to reach an addict is another addict in recovery. The question is whether personal experience with, and victory over, addiction is necessary for a counselor or therapist to be successful in providing successful addiction treatment? I’ll spoil the surprise by telling you that…
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Rehabing Rehab – How we can fix America’s addiction treatment system
When Charlie Sheen finally entered rehab, it wasn’t terribly shocking news. But what most people did find surprising was that instead of checking into a swanky Malibu addiction treatment center as he has done in the past, Sheen opted to receive in-home rehab. Immediately the media began criticizing his choice and questioning his commitment to…
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Who is accountable for the treatment services addicts receive?
It’s not often that I let my opinions out freely rather than letting the data do the talking, but this issue’s been making me mad for a while and now it just has to come out. As part of our work on the A3 rehab-finder we’ve been trying to get some measure of standardization into…
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About Addiction: Drug Information, alcohol safety, and Addiction recovery resources
You guessed it, another great piece detailing some interesting information about addiction from the corners of the world (wide web?). Enjoy, and remember to let us know if we’re missing some topics you’d like to see here! Drug Information and alcohol safety Drug.ie– Educating teens about drugs during the time of adolescence may be too…
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About Addiction: Kombucha, Alcoholism, Drug Crime, mental health, and the Law
These are the newest links about alcohol, drug crime and mental health. Let us know what you think and leave us your feedback! Kombucha, Alcohol content, and teens The New York Times: Some Kombucha drinks may have elevated alcohol content, with specific varieties reaching as high as 3% alcohol by volume, as high as some…
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About Addiction: Drug use and crime, increasing marijuana use, cravings and brain function
Check out the newest links about addiction. Leave us your feedback! Drug use & Crime Huffington Post: Over 5,000 lives were taken in drug related crimes in Mexico in the past year. Drug trade related violence is linked directly to the rising levels of drug use worldwide. Marijuana use Bloomberg Businessweek: For the first time…