What’s News Blog
Latest Allies in Recovery News
Gift Cards For Negative Drug Tests: A Surprisingly Effective Policy Gets a Second Chance
The evidence says it works for stimulants like meth and cocaine, but the approach is still in the pilot stage.
What’s News Posts
Links Between Addiction & Mental Illness
From US News & World Report: Does mental illness lead to drug abuse? And more common questions, answered.
Naloxone … is No Cure in Heroin Epidemic
From the New York Times: "Critics say the highly effective antidote provides a safety net for those who keep abusing drugs, enabling them to be revived over and over."
Blame the Parents, Punish the Child?
In this post from rehabs.com, Anne Fletcher addresses the common and dangerous beliefs that many of us carry. These misconceptions lead us to blame the parents when their child suffers from addiction, and punish the child.
*Unbroken Brain* Explains Why ‘Tough’ Treatment Doesn’t Help Drug Addicts
From npr.org, an interview with Maia Szalavitz, author of Unbroken Brain. Szalavitz was addicted to cocaine and heroin from the age of 17 until she was 23. "We have this idea that if we are just cruel enough and mean enough and tough enough to people with addiction, that they will suddenly wake up and stop, and that is not the case," she tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.
Can You Get Over an Addiction?
…Research also shows that half of all addictions — with the exception of tobacco — end by age 30, and the majority of people with alcohol and drug addictions overcome it, mostly without treatment. I stopped taking drugs when I was 23. I always thought that I had quit because I finally realized that my addiction was harming me. Opinion column from the NYT.
Can He Successfully Moderate? There’s Only One Way to Find Out …
The founders of AA suggest that attempts at moderation provide the best litmus test for alcoholism. In their view, drinkers that are able to cut back without abstaining are not alcoholics because they haven’t become powerless over alcohol. Read the article from planyourrecovery.com.
Missing the Mark on Addiction
Massachusetts Doctor and Addiction Medicine Specialist Dr. Ruth A. Potee has written an editorial for the Greenfield Recorder about the recently passed Opiod legislation signed by Governor Charlie Baker.
Children of Heroin Crisis Find Refuge in Grandparents’ Arms
With the rise in heroin use, grandparents are increasingly raising their grandchildren because the parents are either dead, in jail, in rehab or otherwise incapable of taking care of their children. Read the Boston Globe article here…
Opioid-affected Families are Learning to Cope
Joanne Peterson has attended more than 100 funerals for opioid victims, and she long ago learned the words to all the songs she hears at the services. But she no longer attends the wakes. “I could not look at another young person in a casket,” Peterson said. “There are some days when I just start crying.” … read full article here
Finding the Best Addiction Treatment, With Hired Help
From the New York Times: For families who can afford to do so, hiring a private consultant is proving to be a great help for finding treatment options for an addicted Loved One. A consultant helped Juli Frawley's family through their daughter’s treatment for substance abuse.
How to Really Help Someone with Alcoholism
From addictionblog.org, Dominique Simon-Levine guest authors a post: A young woman named Kate came to see us, deeply upset about her mother’s severe alcoholism. As her drinking got worse, her mother had quit a high-paying job as a nurse, and was now almost a complete shut-in. Kate and her brother still lived with their mother, providing food and paying the bills. Read more here…
The End of Hitting Rock Bottom
SHORTLY AFTER 1 A.M. on March 27, Susan Knade awoke to the sound of her cellphone ringing. It was her 21-year-old daughter, Caroline, calling. She was crying. "Please," Caroline said. "Please, come pick me up." Caroline had been kicked out of her halfway house. She was entering heroin withdrawal….. (read more from the Boston Globe)
Your Worst Fears Have Been Confirmed
Families who find evidence of drug or alcohol use need a plan that goes way beyond the day-to-day reactivity caused by the chaos of life, especially when someone is struggling with alcohol or drugs. Read more on addictionblog.org …
How to intervene so an addict or alcoholic hears your message
You may believe that getting your addicted family member into treatment would take a miracle. Or you may think it can only happen if a professional is brought in. But an intervention does not have to be a big dramatic family meeting with lots of tears and pressure…(read more from addictionblog.org)
Alchohol Abuse Among the Elderly
AFTER 50 years of heavy drinking, a 72-year-old woman from Fairfield County was forced to confront her alcoholism when her son threatened to move out of the house he shares with her if she did not stop drinking. "I won't stay here and watch you die," he told her. Read the article on New York Times.