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Glimmers of Hope for Patients With Substance Use Disorder

There is arguably no area of healthcare in the U.S. that has had a greater human and economic impact while being less effectively addressed than Substance Use Disorder (SUD). SUD is generally defined as a treatable mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, and other substances. Symptoms can be moderate to severe, with addiction being the most severe form of SUD.

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Featured

 We Are All Drug Users

Who can honestly say that they don’t use drugs? I’m not necessarily talking about illegal drugs, like marijuana or psychedelics. Alcohol is a drug. Nicotine is a drug. Caffeine is a drug. Aspirin is a drug. Many kids are on Adderall and many parents and grandparents take Viagra.

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How Science Is Unlocking the Secrets of Addiction

We're learning more about the craving that fuels self-defeating habits—and how new discoveries can help us kick the habit.

Mental illness and substance use: the two often go hand in hand so why is it so difficult to get help?

Often people with substance use issues find getting help for their mental health is difficult and frustrating – as there’s often the view from mental health professionals that patients need to stop using drugs or alcohol before they can access treatment. But herein lies the problem because, for many people, using a substance can be the way they cope – or mask mental health difficulties. Asking them to stop using drugs or alcohol means taking away their coping strategy and without immediate support it’s likely that person will return to using substances to cope with psychological distress.

Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders

People with a SUD may also have other mental health disorders, and people with mental health disorders may also struggle with substance use. These other mental health disorders can include anxiety disorders, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and schizophrenia, among others.

Substance Use Disorder Residency Curriculum

The curriculum is comprised of approximately 20-minute modules covering: Introduction to Opioids, Treatment and Management of Opioid Use Disorder, Alcohol and Benzodiazepines, Tobacco, Cannabis and Vaping, Stimulants, and Special Populations.

The Entanglements of Substance Use Disorders and Emergency Departments

Patients who present to EDs seeking treatment for their substance use disorder face an uphill battle. They are presenting with conditions that are not viewed by many health care providers as an “emergency,” and face health care workers who may have a negative attitude toward substance use.

What Is a Substance Use Disorder?

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex condition in which there is uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequences. People with SUD have an intense focus--sometimes called an addiction--on using a certain substance(s) such as alcohol, tobacco, or other psychoactive substances, to the point where their ability to function in day-to-day life becomes impaired. People keep using the substance even when they know it is causing or will cause problems.

Resources

Mental Health America

Substance use disorders are recognized as primary, progressive, chronic, relapsing and treatable diseases, as detailed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), with extensive evidence-based treatment principles and protocols. Taking advantage of the brain’s marvelous plasticity, addictions literally remold the brain’s circuitry to assign supreme value to our compulsions, ignoring health, work, family, and life itself. These conditions have a dramatic impact on the lives of individuals, their families and partners, and society as a whole, throughout the lifespan.