Addiction treatment has come a long way since the 12 Step program was developed in the 1930s and today there are dozens upon dozens of treatment programs and therapies that address substance use disorder and addictions.
Family get-togethers, anticipated to bring joy and celebration, are often brought to a screeching halt when you or a family member does something foolish or inappropriate while under the influence of alcohol or another substance.
In recent years, the nation has seen a rise in “microdosing” which involves the use of small amounts of psychedelic drugs to improve mood. These tiny doses may only make up one-tenth or less of an average recreational dose.
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
Alcohol-related deaths in the country’s rural areas increased dramatically between 2000 and 2018, according to a recent government study, which reported a 43 percent increase overall between 2006 and 2018 and a doubling of alcohol-related death rates in women since 2000.
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.
While few young Americans probably know that former First Lady Nancy Reagan coined the “Just Say No” slogan used to encourage youth to refrain from engaging in illegal recreational drug use, some may be taking the slogan to heart.