A new study out of the University of Chicago Medicine suggests that young adults who experience the highest sensitivity to alcohol’s pleasurable effects are the most likely to develop an alcohol use disorder over time.
Addiction treatment specialists and researchers are concerned that the global COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns will lead to a surge in alcoholism and drug addiction. Early indications suggest that such concerns may not be unfounded, but at least one population cohort appears to be reducing the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
As the pandemic continues to make headlines, less attention is given to the rise in addiction-related deaths. The American Medical Association Advocacy Resource Center recently reported, “The AMA is greatly concerned by an increasing number of reports from national, state and local media suggesting increases in opioid- and other drug-related mortality
Historically seen as the standard of care for alcohol treatment and substance abuse disorders in general, 12-step programs are extremely limited. Only in recent years have those limitations been examined.
Evidence suggesting that Americans would turn to alcohol for stress relief relating to the global COVID-19 pandemic emerged early in the crisis, with Nielsen reporting a 54 percent increase in national alcohol sales during the third week of March, when governments started initiating stay-at-home and related measures.
On September 14, 2020, the National Institutes of Health released a disturbing report showing that individuals with substance use disorders are more likely to get COVID-19 and suffer more serious complications from it.
Alcohol and drug use spiked, but not only among those who already faced problems. For many Americans, they suddenly found themselves developing a problem they didn’t have before.
Numerous studies over the past 30 years have established that there is a definite link between trauma and alcoholism and/or drug addiction. In fact, many substance abuse treatment facilities treat trauma and addiction as co-occurring disorders.
Other rehabs that I’ve been to were 12 step-based. Sometimes 12 steps work for some people. And sometimes it doesn’t work for others. It helped me stay clean for a …
Around the world, governments are ordering people to stay home and to practice social distancing if a trip outside is necessary. The unprecedented spread of COVID-19 has us all rightfully cautious. From malls to medical centers, virtually any place where people gather has temporarily closed their doors as we weather this storm. However, many people depend heavily on urgent medical services and cannot afford to miss critical appointments. Luckily, most centers have existing telehealth protocols in place so they can continue essential treatment from a distance.