Tag: substance use disorder
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Understanding Testing Treatment Options for Addiction
I recently spent some time at Mayo Clinic. If you’re from the Midwest, this needs no explanation. For those of you who aren’t from the Midwest, I actually don’t know how to explain it well because it is surreal. I grew up knowing that Mayo is where you go when you’re really sick. When I…
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Finding Lagom: A Guide to Healthier Choices for Youth
I recently became acquainted with the concept of “lagom,” which, best as I know, is a Swedish word that translates to “just the right amount,” or “not too much, not too little.” You know when, usually at the beginning of the year, we’re supposed to identify our word…as in the word that is going to…
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Screening Pregnant Women for Substance Use: Key Insights
“You don’t want to go on a date with me, do you?” There’s no good way to answer this question. If I do want to go on a date, I’m actually disagreeing with the person asking me. If I don’t, well, you know…saying “You’re correct. I don’t,” is hard. I refer to this as the…
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The Crossroads of Addiction: Perceptions and Policies
Pete Hegseth, said in an interview with Megyn Kelley, “I’ve never had a drinking problem. No one’s ever approached me and said, ‘Oh, you should really look at getting help for drinking.’ Never. I’ve never sought counseling, never sought help. I respect and appreciate people who do.” He went on to say, “My plan going…
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Understanding Addiction: Insights from Dr. DuPont
Robert DuPont, MD, was the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, appointed in 1973, and he spent his career addressing substance use disorders. I first became acquainted with him while watching The Anonymous People, a feature documentary film produced in 2013 about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol…
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Universal Testing for Neonates: A Crucial Need
We know the government is here to help, but the unintended consequences of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) may make it one of the lousiest pieces of legislation ever passed – and amended and amended again. It’s like we’re trying to polish a turd. We know that drug testing is rife with…
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Prenatal Substance Exposure: A Growing Crisis
“Nearly 1 in 12 newborns in the United States in 2020 – or about 300,000 infants – were exposed to alcohol, opioids, marijuana or cocaine before they were born. Exposure to these substances puts these newborns at a higher risk for premature birth, low birth weight and a variety of physical and mental disabilities” (The Conversation). Unfortunately, this number…
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The Role of Shame in Addiction Recovery
We know that feeling stigmatized – shamed, if you will – may reduce the willingness of those with substance use disorders (SUDs) to seek treatment. We also know that stigmatizing (shaming) language may negatively influence health care providers’ perceptions of people with SUDs, thereby negatively impacting care (pmc). We KNOW this. So our response, far…
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The Dangers of Ignoring Addiction Facts
If you’re looking for me, I’m over here banging my head on my desk. Why, you ask? I’m happy to explain! In the last week I’ve been discouraged at every turn where it comes to my expertise around substance use disorders. First, a person who may or may not have been pregnant was drinking wine.…
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Prenatal Substance Exposure: A Neglected Health Crisis
Urine drug tests can be done for every patient in every hospital…but they aren’t. And that lack of testing everyone who is hospitalized could be considered discriminatory, especially when the group of patients all being tested, under the guise of not discriminating, is pregnant people, as if pregnant people are the only ones who may…
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