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Healthcare savings and alcohol and drug abuse treatment: Saving lives and money
From allaboutaddiction: A recent paper put out by an initiative called Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG) talks about some of the cost savings benefits that go along with alcohol and drug abuse treatment. The numbers refer to current treatment methods, success rates, etc., so the savings should only go up as we become more…
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More money more problems? Rich teens, drugs, and other mental health issues
From allaboutaddiction.com: Teens raised in affluent homes display the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse according to a recent article in Monitor on Psychology, the APA‘s monthly magazine. One of our recent posts dealt with some of the issues unique to teens and drugs. In addition to the issues we’d already mentioned, the…
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The Ethics of Neuroenhancement
A recent issue of the New Yorker featured a wide-ranging and engagingly written review of the current controversy over the ethics of neuroenhancement. Neuroenhancement refers to the growing trend of off-label use of psychiatric drugs by men and women of all ages and backgrounds for the purpose of boosting their brain power and ability to…
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Beta blockers, addiction, and craving help: The new holy grail?
From all-about-addiction: Okay, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, but I’m pretty excited about one study in particular that I heard about while in DC (for a Society For Neuroscience conference). I’ve already written about a study by the renowned addiction researcher Barry Everitt showing that medications could be used in treatment…
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It’s drug time – Circadian rhythms and addiction
From: all-about-addiction.com Like most living creatures, humans have internal biological clocks known as circadian rhythms. These internal cycles synchronize our bodies with the Earth’s 24-hour day/night cycle and prepare us for predictable daily events (1). Circadian rhythms regulate a number of bodily functions including temperature, hormone secretion, bowel movements, and sleep (2). Well, recent research…
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Correlation, causation, or association – What does it all mean???
From allaboutaddiction.com: A comment posted by a reader on a recent post reprimanded me for suggesting that marijuana caused relationships to go bad. While in that instance the reader was mistaken, as I had specifically used the word associated, the comment made me think that maybe I should explain the differences here. I’m a scientist…
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Drug memories and relapse: A light at the end of the tunnel?
From All About Addiction: About a year ago, while sitting in a lecture on learning and memory, the idea that certain drugs can affect the emotional responses to memory long after the memory itself has been formed came up. As someone interested in addiction research, the implication for treatment immediately came up in my head:…
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Enforcement Vs. Prevention
From all-about-addiction: The U.S. policy regarding the drug problem is centered mainly on the enforcement of its drug laws and the intervention in the drug supply both within the U.S. and from bordering countries. There is no question that this “crusade” has an impact. Importing a kilogram of cocaine into the US costs approx $15000…