Social peculiarity is frequently observed in clients with mental health and substance abuse disorders. However, it lacks a consensus definition and is not a well-delineated clinical entity or syndrome with an established set of descriptive diagnostic criteria.
A common dilemma encountered by clinicians, insurance providers, and legislators alike is determining whether substance abuse is a typical mental illness or a unique disorder of its own. Distinguishing whether substance use disorder is fundamentally different from other mental disorders influences decisions on how substance use disorders should be treated and ultimately, how the research and treatment of these disorders should be funded.
The Director Poll and Clinician Check-Ins are free, first-of-their-kind surveys. They’re already connecting program leaders and clinicians nationwide — helping them adapt to the new needs emerging weekly in our industry.
Richard Lane was a long-term heroin user who, upon release from prison in 1967, was
instrumental in establishing one of the Nation’s first opioid treatment programs. In 1974,
he became the Executive Director of Man Alive and later served as Vice President of the
American Methadone Treatment Association (now AATOD) and as Vice Chairman of
the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Maryland. Mr. Lane was a
passionate advocate for methadone treatment (the only medication available for opioid
use disorder at the time) and, by disclosing his own treatment experiences, provided
inspiration to patients and colleagues alike.
Michael King writes: Late this summer, I was sitting on the beach at Lake Chelan with my seven year old son Cooper, taking in the gorgeous Eastern Washington summer weather. My eleven year old daughter Kenley was happily swimming in the lake. Here I was, a proud contented father , enjoying an extended outdoor weekend with my two kids in the age of Covid19.
There were no camps this summer, and we’ve tried to take advantage of this situation by spending more quality time outdoors. For me, the experience of being a father to my kids is one I wouldn’t trade for anything. Just seven years ago, I was six months into my journey of recovery from alcohol and gambling addiction.
Now that the U.S. gets to decide its future through electing its leaders, with the right to suffrage, or voting, being one of the rights granted by the Constitution. However, aside from the human rights and civic duty involved, the very act of casting votes can also offer benefits to one's mental health.
A mother's depression and anxiety from conception through the first year of the baby's life is associated with negative developmental outcomes through adolescence, according to a study published recently in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Imagine a virtual room of social media influencers tasked with discussing mental health and well-being.
Depending on how you feel about the influencer economy, you might be curious or cynical. Such a meeting could be just another photo op for a timeline that needs a touch more sincerity or vulnerability. Or it could be a chance to harness social media platforms for good by sparking stigma-free conversations about mental health. It might even amount to nothing at all.
Lady Gaga said there was a time in her life when her own identity triggered her depression.
"I used to wake up every day and remember I was Lady Gaga — and then I would get depressed," she recently told Billboard.
The 34-year-old pop star has discussed her experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm, and anxiety in the past. She has also described her newest album, "Chromatica," as a journey through pain toward healing.
Experiencing multiple stressors triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic — such as unemployment — and COVID-19-related media consumption are directly linked to rising acute stress and depressive symptoms across the U.S., according to a groundbreaking University of California, Irvine study.
