I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who doesn't work in the addiction treatment world this week, and she made the observation that it's strange to see people with no business training running successful treatment businesses. And, unlike the rest of the business world, this is definitely the majority of treatment centers as opposed to the other way around. The lack of business knowledge can be very detrimental to the treatment itself- when owners and executive directors are panicking about meeting the bottom line, the staff of clinicians and lower-level operations personnel can feel the panic. This isn't good for anyone, ESPECIALLY the patients, who can pick up on the tiniest weakness in their counselor and work to exploit it to their advantage. After all, addicts are the greatest manipulators. What we don't want is the option for addicts to basically be running their own treatment plan-- and when staff is in panic mode, they often can.
In these lean times, with unemployment rising and the economy not doing so hot (to say the least), more and more treatment centers are comprising their level of care, admitting clinically incorrect patients, and laying off staff in order to make the numbers work. What's sad is that even the most business-minded owners can't avoid this reality. Only a few of the treatment centers are running at capacity. And unlike the hey-day of the late 90s and early 2000s when people would take out home equity or other loans to pay for treatment, the credit has dried up and treatment centers are feeling the squeeze.
What we, as an industry, need to maintain is a sense of urgency. Every day we fight on the front lines of addiction. We help people change their lives, and see miracles happen every day. Some days, when the business doesn't make sense and it feels like we're not going to make it, we need to remember that we're doing some of the toughest work on the planet. We help dying people find a new light and a new LIFE. The more we help each other, as industry professionals, the better we all do, and we make sure everyone survives. So when someone calls in a panic, in need of referrals to keep the doors open, help. Because you never know when you'll be the person in need.
And as a follow up to my military post, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Michael G. Mullen, said on Tuesday night that troops' mental health needs to be a priority. "I think we need to get to a point where everyone is screened by a competent mental health professional," he said. Check out the article on CNN here.
Here's a great video from Feliz Dennis, a former crack addict who now is one of the world's foremost publishers.
Here's something funny.
Follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And check out my advertisers! Thanks, and see you next week.
Showing posts with label addiction research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label addiction research. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Mechanism of Addiction
In an article posted in the Salt Lake Tribune, BYU researchers as well as Canadian neuroscientists, induced drug addiction in lab rats without using actual drugs. This is a huge breakthrough, basically proving that addiction is a brain disorder and not one of willpower.
Scott Stephenson, a lead researcher on the project, provided some good feedback. "We are wired for pleasure," said Steffensen, a professor in the department of psychology. "Drugs overwhelm this system that is under tight regulation. It's a sad spiralling disregulation that takes place." By isolating a protein in the brain (known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF) that is enhanced in people struggling with addiction, they were then able to inject the protein into the rats and create the symptoms of opiate addiction.
This research opens many new directions for drug and alcohol treatment. Are we getting closer to a medical solution to addiction prevention? Maybe it's going to be possible in the future to establish blockers to these proteins that create the insatiable need for drugs and alcohol. Will it be possible to help a child with a family history of addiction to block the effects of drugs and alcohol with a simple medical treatment or prescription? I don't think that these are far off in the future.
I've been reading "The End of Overeating," by Dr. David Kessler (available here on Amazon), and in it he speaks about certain foods affecting our opiate receptors almost as much as drugs do directly. So we may also be on a path to developing further medical treatments for overeaters as well. Some doctors are already seeing progress in using naltrexone to stop the craving for carbohydrates. Dr. Richard Bernstein, in his book "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" has published studies on the effectiveness of this method of treatment on chronic overeaters.
So it's possible that medical treatments may, in the future, be the true path to prevention and treatment. But we'll see.
Here's a video about some of the uses of naltrexone.
And here's a clip about the book, The End of Overeating:
And of course- here's something funny.
Follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And feel free to comment on any of the posts you see here. Please support my advertisers, and see you tomorrow.
Scott Stephenson, a lead researcher on the project, provided some good feedback. "We are wired for pleasure," said Steffensen, a professor in the department of psychology. "Drugs overwhelm this system that is under tight regulation. It's a sad spiralling disregulation that takes place." By isolating a protein in the brain (known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF) that is enhanced in people struggling with addiction, they were then able to inject the protein into the rats and create the symptoms of opiate addiction.
This research opens many new directions for drug and alcohol treatment. Are we getting closer to a medical solution to addiction prevention? Maybe it's going to be possible in the future to establish blockers to these proteins that create the insatiable need for drugs and alcohol. Will it be possible to help a child with a family history of addiction to block the effects of drugs and alcohol with a simple medical treatment or prescription? I don't think that these are far off in the future.
I've been reading "The End of Overeating," by Dr. David Kessler (available here on Amazon), and in it he speaks about certain foods affecting our opiate receptors almost as much as drugs do directly. So we may also be on a path to developing further medical treatments for overeaters as well. Some doctors are already seeing progress in using naltrexone to stop the craving for carbohydrates. Dr. Richard Bernstein, in his book "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" has published studies on the effectiveness of this method of treatment on chronic overeaters.
So it's possible that medical treatments may, in the future, be the true path to prevention and treatment. But we'll see.
Here's a video about some of the uses of naltrexone.
And here's a clip about the book, The End of Overeating:
And of course- here's something funny.
Follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And feel free to comment on any of the posts you see here. Please support my advertisers, and see you tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Treatment moving forward
I read an interesting blog post in the New York Times this morning by Dr. Mark Willenbring. Here's the question and answer that piqued my interest:
"Q: Why aren’t patients being told of the medical options available to them in addition to AA/rehab? Is it ignorance of doctors? Lingering stigma that alcoholics are somehow “bad” and their only solution is to admit their powerlessness and find a higher power? No other disease relies on meetings in church basements for its primary treatment. I’m a recovering alcoholic who attends AA meetings and takes Campral. Not one AA’er I’ve met thus far has heard of Campral. It has been a tremendous help to me and it’s too bad that it’s not being used more, especially as it relates to reducing relapses. Cew5x
Answer:
The type of treatment offered at more than 90 percent of treatment programs in the United States consists of group counseling and referral to community support groups provided by non-medical staff. This treatment model was developed about 50 years ago, and it represented a real advance at the time.
However, the treatment field has not kept up with scientific advances in either behavioral or medication treatment. For example, it is about as difficult to obtain high quality cognitive-behavioral therapy for alcohol dependence as it is medication therapy. This is likely to change eventually, but for the time being, people seeking treatment for themselves or loved ones need to be informed “consumers.” Insisting on access to high-quality, scientifically-based care is one way to help drive system change."
What I find interesting about this are a number of things. First and foremost, why haven't we, as an addiction treatment field, continued with the progress seen in other areas of medicine? Since addiction is recognized as a disease, we should be taking advantage of all scientific advantages availed to us. I find it interesting that we are so resistant to change, and that for 50 years we've done basically the same thing in treatment. What is ALSO very interesting is the RESISTANCE to change. It's hard to find a treatment program that is consistent in adopting new methodologies for addressing the brain and medical issues associated with addiction. Within the industry, there is almost a stigma associated with medication in the treatment process.
Why aren't we using every tool available to combat a disease that directly affects 10 percent of our population and countless numbers of family members?
The other point is that a 12-step program works, when instituted and practiced diligently. However, what we've seen with alcoholics and addicts is that a relapse can often completely derail the recovery train. With the help of certain medications and medical knowledge, combined with therapy, support network and 12 step work, our chances of seeing a full and complete recovery should vastly improve. I can only hope that we start to see this before we lose more people.
Here's a video of Dr. Mark Hillenbring:
Here's something funny.
As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Also, become a fan of my blog on Facebook! See you tomorrow.
"Q: Why aren’t patients being told of the medical options available to them in addition to AA/rehab? Is it ignorance of doctors? Lingering stigma that alcoholics are somehow “bad” and their only solution is to admit their powerlessness and find a higher power? No other disease relies on meetings in church basements for its primary treatment. I’m a recovering alcoholic who attends AA meetings and takes Campral. Not one AA’er I’ve met thus far has heard of Campral. It has been a tremendous help to me and it’s too bad that it’s not being used more, especially as it relates to reducing relapses. Cew5x
Answer:
The type of treatment offered at more than 90 percent of treatment programs in the United States consists of group counseling and referral to community support groups provided by non-medical staff. This treatment model was developed about 50 years ago, and it represented a real advance at the time.
However, the treatment field has not kept up with scientific advances in either behavioral or medication treatment. For example, it is about as difficult to obtain high quality cognitive-behavioral therapy for alcohol dependence as it is medication therapy. This is likely to change eventually, but for the time being, people seeking treatment for themselves or loved ones need to be informed “consumers.” Insisting on access to high-quality, scientifically-based care is one way to help drive system change."
What I find interesting about this are a number of things. First and foremost, why haven't we, as an addiction treatment field, continued with the progress seen in other areas of medicine? Since addiction is recognized as a disease, we should be taking advantage of all scientific advantages availed to us. I find it interesting that we are so resistant to change, and that for 50 years we've done basically the same thing in treatment. What is ALSO very interesting is the RESISTANCE to change. It's hard to find a treatment program that is consistent in adopting new methodologies for addressing the brain and medical issues associated with addiction. Within the industry, there is almost a stigma associated with medication in the treatment process.
Why aren't we using every tool available to combat a disease that directly affects 10 percent of our population and countless numbers of family members?
The other point is that a 12-step program works, when instituted and practiced diligently. However, what we've seen with alcoholics and addicts is that a relapse can often completely derail the recovery train. With the help of certain medications and medical knowledge, combined with therapy, support network and 12 step work, our chances of seeing a full and complete recovery should vastly improve. I can only hope that we start to see this before we lose more people.
Here's a video of Dr. Mark Hillenbring:
Here's something funny.
As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. Also, become a fan of my blog on Facebook! See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
High-functioning alcoholics?
An article in the New York Times today spoke in depth about a segment of the population not often talked about- the high-functioning alcoholic. Sarah Allen Benton has recently published a book called "Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic" which can be found on Amazon here. Her basic premise is that this special type of alcoholic is able to somehow manage a job, family, friends and yet mask their problem drinking, sometimes for years. Many of these people are able to maintain a semblance of a normal life while covering up the massive wreckage that alcoholics routinely suffer.
What's interesting about this segment of the population is that it has existed in almost secret for hundreds of years. Employees, customers, and family members are often willing to overlook out-of-control drinking since their loved one or boss can maintain their job performance. The three martini lunch, popular up through the early 90s, was almost a right of passage for high-performing executives. They looked at alcohol as a reward for their hard work.
For many of these high-performing people, the major consequence for them is the fact that the one aspect of their lives that they can't control is their alcohol intake. They've avoided many consequences- loss of job, loss of family, financial ruin, etc. The other interesting thing is that there is an entire segment of the treatment world devoted to treating this population. Talbott Recovery Campus in Atlanta functioned for years by simply treating doctors. Hazelden Springbrook in Newburg, OR has a program dedicated to helping healthcare professionals. And programs such as The Landing, Promises, and other high end facilities specialize in treating high-functioning alcoholics- basing treatment tracks on the assumption that clients their don't need a complete overhaul of their lives, just around their relationship with alcohol and/or drugs.
What can be troubling about this segment of the population is relapse. When high-functioning alcoholics, who are used to perfection in all aspects of their lives, have trouble with sobriety, they can run into trouble when relapse happens. They can often move downhill fast. Luckily, there are resources available. Places such as Sunrise Recovery Ranch, Mayflower Center, and Jaywalker Lodge provide programs for chronic reluctant-to-recover patients, and can work together with the job and family to insure a smooth transition back into life.
It will be interesting to see how much this article and book bring awareness to this issue. People suffer in silence daily due to the ignorance of their friends and family members about the signs of out-of-control drinking. I can only hope that this article can help bring things to light about the secret lives of high-functioning alcoholics.
In other news, my friend Rick Ohrstrom over at Sober Bulldog just returned from the Gaza Strip working on addiction and trauma. Make sure to check out his website and stay tuned for a new blog about his experiences overseas.
Here's Anderson Cooper's breakdown of doctors in treatment:
Here's something funny.
As always, follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. See you tomorrow.
What's interesting about this segment of the population is that it has existed in almost secret for hundreds of years. Employees, customers, and family members are often willing to overlook out-of-control drinking since their loved one or boss can maintain their job performance. The three martini lunch, popular up through the early 90s, was almost a right of passage for high-performing executives. They looked at alcohol as a reward for their hard work.
For many of these high-performing people, the major consequence for them is the fact that the one aspect of their lives that they can't control is their alcohol intake. They've avoided many consequences- loss of job, loss of family, financial ruin, etc. The other interesting thing is that there is an entire segment of the treatment world devoted to treating this population. Talbott Recovery Campus in Atlanta functioned for years by simply treating doctors. Hazelden Springbrook in Newburg, OR has a program dedicated to helping healthcare professionals. And programs such as The Landing, Promises, and other high end facilities specialize in treating high-functioning alcoholics- basing treatment tracks on the assumption that clients their don't need a complete overhaul of their lives, just around their relationship with alcohol and/or drugs.
What can be troubling about this segment of the population is relapse. When high-functioning alcoholics, who are used to perfection in all aspects of their lives, have trouble with sobriety, they can run into trouble when relapse happens. They can often move downhill fast. Luckily, there are resources available. Places such as Sunrise Recovery Ranch, Mayflower Center, and Jaywalker Lodge provide programs for chronic reluctant-to-recover patients, and can work together with the job and family to insure a smooth transition back into life.
It will be interesting to see how much this article and book bring awareness to this issue. People suffer in silence daily due to the ignorance of their friends and family members about the signs of out-of-control drinking. I can only hope that this article can help bring things to light about the secret lives of high-functioning alcoholics.
In other news, my friend Rick Ohrstrom over at Sober Bulldog just returned from the Gaza Strip working on addiction and trauma. Make sure to check out his website and stay tuned for a new blog about his experiences overseas.
Here's Anderson Cooper's breakdown of doctors in treatment:
Here's something funny.
As always, follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. See you tomorrow.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Addiction and young adults
In Milwaukee this week, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to Community Advocates, Inc. to support the Milwaukee Addiction Treatment Initiative.
The Milwaukee Treatment Initiative is a great project- they are working to close the gap in providing treatment services to those who need it. According to research, almost 21% of those between 18-25 in Wisconsin fit the criteria for a need of addiction treatment, compared to 17% nationally. This project shows good initiative for a grassroots movement to improve addiction treatment.
As someone who got sober at a young age, I am in full support of this. One of the biggest problems is the myth that college is a place to go crazy for four years and then adjust to the real world. The truth is, many kids go to college without proper preparation for the struggles they will face. Addiction and alcoholism go hand-in-hand with the feelings of uncomfortability and uncertainty, and those are feelings that run rampant in college students. The resources available on college campuses are woeful at best, and it's hard for college students to find the help they need without family help. When families aren't educated about the signs of addiction and depression, a kid can get in deep trouble on a college campus.
Milwaukee is taking a lot of steps to improve this, and I applaud them for it. We always need more resources available, and it's good to see foundations stepping up to support further resources and research.
Make sure to check out this video about where I work, Sober Living By The Sea. Thanks to Michael Hurst, our web designer, for posting this video and managing our blog.
Here's an interesting video regarding Erin Brockovich and her daughter's struggles with addiction:
As usual, here's something funny.
Come and find me on LinkedIn and Twitter. Also, make sure to check out my friends over at 12 Angels and their research project. See you this week.
The Milwaukee Treatment Initiative is a great project- they are working to close the gap in providing treatment services to those who need it. According to research, almost 21% of those between 18-25 in Wisconsin fit the criteria for a need of addiction treatment, compared to 17% nationally. This project shows good initiative for a grassroots movement to improve addiction treatment.
As someone who got sober at a young age, I am in full support of this. One of the biggest problems is the myth that college is a place to go crazy for four years and then adjust to the real world. The truth is, many kids go to college without proper preparation for the struggles they will face. Addiction and alcoholism go hand-in-hand with the feelings of uncomfortability and uncertainty, and those are feelings that run rampant in college students. The resources available on college campuses are woeful at best, and it's hard for college students to find the help they need without family help. When families aren't educated about the signs of addiction and depression, a kid can get in deep trouble on a college campus.
Milwaukee is taking a lot of steps to improve this, and I applaud them for it. We always need more resources available, and it's good to see foundations stepping up to support further resources and research.
Make sure to check out this video about where I work, Sober Living By The Sea. Thanks to Michael Hurst, our web designer, for posting this video and managing our blog.
Here's an interesting video regarding Erin Brockovich and her daughter's struggles with addiction:
As usual, here's something funny.
Come and find me on LinkedIn and Twitter. Also, make sure to check out my friends over at 12 Angels and their research project. See you this week.
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