What’s News Blog
Latest Allies in Recovery News
Rhode Island Sees First Drop in Drug Fatalities Since 2019
The state is also the newest to make access to Allies in Recovery free for all residents
What’s News Posts
A Vaccine That Blocks the Effects of Fentanyl Created In the Lab
Testing on humans has yet to begin, but the vaccine still represents a breakthrough. As fentanyl deaths hit an all-time high in the United States, the search for solutions is heating up as well. Now researchers at the University of Houston say that have developed a potential “game changer”: a vaccine that stops fentanyl from affecting the brain at all.
At-Home, Computerized CBT Reduces Drug Use as Much as CBT Delivered in a Clinical Setting, Study Finds
Self-administering CBT via a computer training program helps as many people reduce their drug use as CBT delivered in person by a clinician, according to a clinical trial. In some cases, the results may even be better.
Meet the Parents Who’ve Had Enough of the War on Drugs
As one of the world’s leading researchers and thinkers on trauma, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk knows better than to offer solutions to this most intricate of problems. In this video series, he brilliantly describes the contours of trauma, community, and individualism, shedding brilliant light on the search for one’s own path to recovery.
My Brother Is Not a Monster: A Children’s Book About SUD, Recovery, and One Loving Family
Children can understand SUD better than adults might think. Good storytelling can help. This beautifully illustrated children’s book is spot on: showing a family challenged by SUD but coming together to support their Loved One. Instead of magnifying fear, it teaches and sheds light. And its arrival could hardly be more timely.
Material Rewards Can Make Recovery Fun — and Lead To Dramatically Better Outcomes
The research is clear: tangible rewards can greatly improve recovery efforts. Such programs are at last being given a chance. It’s called contingency management: the use of modest but far from trivial rewards for progress toward recovery. And for many suffering from SUD, it works. Now, after decades of resistance in the U.S., the approach is being adopted in states and cities across the country.
The Meaning of Recovery: Five People Share Their Stories
As Allies members know quite well, substance use disorder often throws not just the user, but the entire family unit into turmoil. The documentary “Our American Family” takes an intimate look at one such family in Philadelphia, diving deep into intergenerational addiction and recovery. This review from Psychology Today reflects on the film and the troubled but resilient family it follows.
Three Common Thinking Traps, and How to Avoid Them
Our minds have various kinds of natural bias. Fortunately they can be recognized and resisted. Bias affects everyone’s thinking. While it isn’t always a disaster, it can cause serious problems, including misunderstandings and conflict between Loved Ones. In this NPR interview, Yale Professor Woo-kyoung Ahn discusses three of the most common sorts of bias, and how we can train ourselves to counteract them.
This Documentary That Shows the Whole Family’s Experience with Substance Use
As Allies members know quite well, substance use disorder often throws not just the user, but the entire family unit into turmoil. The documentary “Our American Family” takes an intimate look at one such family in Philadelphia, diving deep into intergenerational addiction and recovery. This review from Psychology Today reflects on the film and the troubled but resilient family it follows.
New Evidence Shows That Medicine Is An Effective Part of Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment
Prescribed medication often helps — and is considered far too rarely. In the U.S., medicines for the treatment of alcohol use disorder date back to at least the 1920s. In recent decades, according to numerous studies, patient outcomes improve dramatically when medicine is part of the treatment plan. This article from VeryWellMind lays out the details.
On “Mom Guilt” and Self-Compassion
Parents, and especially mothers, often blame themselves for issues their children face — including issues over which the parents have little or no control. Such internalized “mom guilt” can have adverse effects on both parents and children. Amy Paturel’s essay in the Washington Post explores the roots of such feelings and recommends a self-care response.
A Court Ruling That Endangers 130 Million With SUD or Mental Health Challenges
A landmark ruling in 2019 required insurers to define “medical necessity” in accordance with accepted clinical standards. But in 2022, a three-judge panel threw out that ruling, allowing insurance companies to determine coverage by “arbitrary, profit-motivated, and internally developed criteria.” The March 2022 decision allows health insurers to use their own, opaque metrics when deciding who to cover.
The Destructive Myth of “Codependency”
The idea of codependency—that Loved Ones of substance users psychologically benefit from and thus enable use—has penetrated popular thinking about SUD across the country. The concept has no clear basis in fact — but that hasn’t prevented it from causing widespread harm.
A&E TV’s “Intervention”: More Harm Than Good?
Participants and SUD professionals alike question the methods, and even the premise, of A&E’s longstanding series. Now in its 24th season, A&E’s show arranges, funds, and films confrontations between family members and sufferers from substance use disorder. The show’s many critics deem its methods coercive and counterproductive.
Section 35: Playing Russian Roulette with Involuntary Treatment in Massachusetts
While many states use civil commitment, Massachusetts is believed to be the only state in the union that allows family members to file a Section 35 petition and court-order their Loved One to treatment. More often than not, they are sent to treatment inside jails and prisons — even if they haven’t committed any crimes. Family members who ask for involuntary committal call it “Russian Roulette”.
Fentanyl’s Deadly Toll Leads Parents to Seek New Ways to Keep Their Children Safe
How do parents keep their children safe amidst an ever-changing drug landscape? Illicit drug suppliers are mixing cheap, potent fentanyl into everything from heroin and cocaine to counterfeit prescription drugs. Click the image to read the full article.
Involuntary Treatment Usually Fails. Here’s Why.
A New York Times contributor explains—and tells us why voluntary treatment, and approaches like CRAFT, succeed more often.
“Patients’ Bill of Rights” For Substance Use Disorder Becomes Law in California
It has more teeth than most past efforts in any state. And it may well save lives.
How To Ask If They’re Getting Addicted
Worried about someone’s drinking or drug use, but not sure what to say? The CRAFT approach can help!
Dabbing is Growing In Popularity, But the Risks Are Real
Dabbing, a method of cannabis use, produces a fast high, but can expose you to a host of toxins and other risks.
A Profile of Allies in Recovery
Allies in the news! A knowledge-packed introduction to Allies in Recovery and our work with families, by a leader in the field.