Addiction Professional articles from September 2007

Addiction Professional archives from September 2007

These words definitely matter.(Letter From the Editor)(addiction terminology, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
September 1, 2007... At age 89 and ever aware of the forces that aim to shape the addiction field for good or ill, Mel Schulstad never fails to command the attention of those of us who are still learning. So you have to give proper consideration when the co-founder...

Let's keep up the pressure against tobacco.(Commentary)
September 1, 2007... For those like me who would prefer to see tobacco products disappear, some heartening news has surfaced. Two reports posted on the Join Together Direct website on June 27 suggest that tobacco companies have hit hard times. One report indicated...

Starting a dialogue: against the odds, a former college president takes aim at the 21 drinking age.(Feature)(Middlebury College's John McCardell)(Cover story)
September 1, 2007... The way former Middlebury College President John McCardell sees it, maintaining this country's legal drinking age at 21 leaves parents, and college presidents, with a similar dilemma and two unacceptable choices. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Existential therapy can work for youths: use of creative activities can make important treatment concepts come to life.(Feature)
September 1, 2007... Teetering on the boundaries between philosophy and psychotherapy, existential therapy involves helping clients find meaning in their lives and emphasizes that the driving force in life is an innate spiritual desire to find this meaning. Because...

Adolescent treatment: advancing as a specialty; A new endorsement from NAADAC builds momentum for clinical standards.(Feature)
September 1, 2007... In 2004, 19.1 million Americans, or 7.9% of the population 12 or older, were current illicit drug users.' The report from which these numbers are derived goes on to suggest that 21. (1) million people who needed treatment for their drug use did...

A federal effort to bridge the gap: NIDA's Blending Initiative places community providers at the leading edge of new treatment knowledge.(Feature)
September 1, 2007... As many health professionals are painfully aware, it takes too long for clinical research results to be implemented in routine patient care--an average of 17 years according to the Institute of Medicine. (1) This lag is costly for society and...

A protocol to empower family members: Robert J. Meyers discusses the effective elements of the CRAFT model.(Feature)
September 1, 2007... Robert J. Meyers, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and researcher who has been involved in developing and evaluating treatment protocols for people with addictions for 30 years. He and I first met when we were working on a randomized clinical...

Pharmacotherapy: integrating new tools into practice.(NAADAC LIFELONG LEARNING SERIES)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... This is the fifth in a series of six articles designed to provide you with the latest information on the use of medications in alcohol dependence treatment. Medications (pharmacotherapy) used as adjuncts to counseling techniques and...

Improving prescriber and nonprescriber collaboration in the treatment of alcohol dependence.(NAADAC LIFELONG LEARNING SERIES)
September 1, 2007... Treatment of alcohol dependence and other addictions has increasingly become "medicalized" because of a greater understanding of brain neurophysiology and the accompanying rise in the number of effective medications for these disorders. There...

Testing a weapon against meth, cocaine dependence: a drug court sees progress with an innovative treatment program.(Feature)
September 1, 2007... Methamphetamine and cocaine use continue to pose a pervasive threat to individuals and communities nationally. Homegrown meth labs steadily crop up, particularly in the Pacific and Southwest regions of the country. These sites, where the drug...

What are eating disorder patients taking? Clinicians need to recognize over-the-counter drug use in clients with eating disorders.(Feature)
September 1, 2007... Americans purchase over-the-counter medications to treat an amazing array of problems: colds, diarrhea, headaches, even baldness. Americans also purchase a range of herbal preparations that purportedly slow aging, increase attention, improve...

Cumberland Heights: Hazel Hawkins Martin Memorial Adolescent Residence.(Environments for Recovery)
September 1, 2007... Youths ages 13 to 18 who receive treatment services at Cumberland Heights' new residential facility in west Nashville, Tennessee, will encounter an environment that is both calming and safety-sensitive, according to agency administrators. ...

Avoid misinterpretations involving culture.(Road to Recovery)
September 1, 2007... Some research suggests that fewer members of minority groups seek counseling because of the perception of a lack of cultural sensitivity in the profession and a mistrust of a process viewed as geared toward white, middle-class America. (1) The...

Technological options for testing are expanding.(Drug Testing)
September 1, 2007... Drug abuse places a huge burden on society, with estimates suggesting an economic drain in the U.S. alone of more than $200 billion per year--and a human toll that is incalculable. This is why the role of treatment programs and medical clinics...

Aftercare in the information age.(Technology)
September 1, 2007... As with virtually all areas of medicine, advancements in technology have provided tremendous benefits to behavioral health treatment professionals and patients alike. The Internet, much maligned (perhaps fairly) because of its use as a tool to...

Continuing education quiz.
September 1, 2007... Earn continuing education credits by taking this quiz on the article that begins on page 36 of this issue. A grade of 70% or above will earn you a certificate of completion for two nationally certified continuing education hours. This is an...