The Yale School of Medicine defines ‘cannabis use disorder’ (CUD) as “the continued use of cannabis, despite significant negative impact on one’s life and health.”[1] In a recent article published in MGH Psychiatry News[2], Dr. Ruta Nonacs presents the results of a recent study that point out there are few, if any, benefits to use…
According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), published by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 37 million people in the U.S. (13½%) used an illegal drug in the past month.[1] And some among these numbers are healthcare professionals. Indeed, past data show doctors, nurses and others…
The 3 Steps of the Detox Process Can Lead You to Start a New Life in Recovery For many people struggling with alcohol or drugs, the real first step in the direction of recovery is admitting they have a dependency on the substance(s). The next step is finding a treatment program that can help them…
Dispelling 6 Common Myths About Impaired Nurses Given addiction to alcohol or drugs (a.k.a., substance use disorder) afflicts people of all ages, races and from all walks of life and occupations, it should come as no surprise that it can occur in nurses, too. Past research indicates 10-15% of all nurses may be impaired by…
Looking Honestly – and with Acceptance – at Our Inability to Stop Drinking or Using is the First Step to Freedom Many of us who have found ourselves afflicted with a substance use disorder (a.k.a., chemical dependency, addiction to alcohol and/or drugs) know quite well the “internal voices” that can battle for dominance in our…
Federal Grant Signals a Call for Greater Empathy to Inform Our Approach to Addiction A recent U.S. News & World Report article by Diana Krishnan of Rush University Medical Hospital in Chicago cited the first “harm reduction” grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as an indication of U.S. efforts…
In the latest data available from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health—conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), over 20 million U.S. adults struggle each year with a substance use disorder (a.k.a., addiction to alcohol or drugs).[1] Unfortunately, it’s…
2022 North American Commission Report Addresses the Opioid Epidemic The current COVID pandemic, by all measures, has had a devastating effect on countless lives around the world. However, another epidemic is continuing to wreak havoc here in the U.S. and Canada. According to the Stanford-Lancet Commission on the North American Opioid Crisis (“the Commission”), there…
A just-published study drawing from multimodal imaging data on a large sample size—nearly 37,000 adults—concluded significant losses of both gray and white brain matter are attributable to light-to-moderate alcohol intake.[1] Prior to this study, decades of research on alcohol consumption has demonstrated heavy drinking and alcoholism are leading contributors to worldwide disease and deaths, as…
While exacting statistics regarding addicted physicians are sometimes challenging to arrive at, one study by the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital—which surveyed over 2,000 doctors nationwide across multiple specialties—found that 17% of physicians have encountered a doctor who is impaired by substance abuse or has a substance use disorder, causing problems…