Substance abuse

Addiction is a pervasive health and economic issue in the United States. Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured and client-centered intervention that can be a useful addition to a comprehensive treatment plan for clients with substance use disorder. However, little research has explored EMDR and its effects on addiction. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of conducting EMDR and to test its effects on cravings and perseverations associated with addiction and irrational cognitions related to addiction compared to treatment as usual (TAU).
This study used a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with an experimental group (EMDR + TAU) and a control group (TAU only). With nonprobability convenience sampling, participants were recruited from a residential program or a partial hospitalization program (PHP) with AION Health Group in Palm Beach County, Florida. Thirty participants at the treatment center were randomly assigned 1:1 to either the experimental group (n = 15) or the control group (n = 15). The control group received TAU, comprised of weekly individual and group therapy sessions. The reliability of each instrument for measuring outcome variables showed high internal consistency reliability, with Cronbach’s α > .90.

As the title suggests, this is a collection of essays about addiction and recovery, told from my personal perspective. In recovery, we have a saying: “Once a pickle, you can’t go back to a cucumber.” That is, just because one stops using drugs, does not mean their addictive personality is somehow vanquished. Even though I have not used drugs or alcohol in over eight years, I still very much identify as a person who is in recovery from addiction and alcoholism. This collection is about my life as an addict and alcoholic, both before and after getting clean, and the transformation required to bridge these two very different existences.

Females diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) may experience more
stigmatization and need more social support than males. Traditional therapeutic services
provide interventions and treatment that is uniform for males and females. The available
research on female substance users does not address meaningful connections and
relationships with others, and its effect on overall wellness. The objective of this study
was to address the importance of social support, stigmatization, and wellness. A sample
of 232 females diagnosed with SUD, at least 18 years of age, responded to three
instruments and a demographic form.
The results of this study indicate that income and age are predictors of overall
wellness and explained 12% of the variance in wellness, when using a multiple regression
analysis, (adjusted R^2 = .119, p = .000). Relationship status and relationship length
demonstrated significance as predictors of social support, explaining 5.6% of the variance
in social support, using a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted R^2 = .056, p = .001). Number of children, age, and relationship length demonstrated significance as predictors
of stigmatization, accounting for 9.4% of the variance in stigmatization, (adjusted R^2 =
.094, p = .000). Social support accounted for 4.1% of the variance in stigmatization using
a multiple regression analysis, (adjusted R^2 = .041, p = .001). Social support explained
39% of the variance in wellness, (adjusted R^2 = .394, p = .000). Using a hierarchical
regression analysis to control for stigmatization, social support explained 44% of the
variance in wellness, (adjusted R^2 = .438, p = .000). Finally, social support mediates the
relationship between stigmatization and wellness, when using path analysis.
This study provided support for specific treatment for females in substance abuse
treatment; particularly concerning social support, stigmatization, and wellness. These
females with SUD reported that social support increased wellness, correlating with
decreased stigmatization. Conversely, females who experienced increased stigmatization
and decreased social support also experienced decreased wellness. Social support
mediated the impact of stigmatization and wellness.

The role of attachment style in overall family functioning and in individual substance abuse patterns has been researched extensively. Lifestyle constructs have been seen as predictors of substance abuse related behaviors, including future drug related difficulties. Dysfunctional family environments have been seen as predictors of poor mental health outcomes in family members. Despite the high rates of co-morbidity in alcohol and drug dependent individuals, parental lifestyle, attachment style, and the overall influence of family environment on the psychological traits of substance dependent individuals had not been previously examined. This study examined a group of parents and their adult children (actively in substance abuse treatment, with diagnoses of substance dependence) who participated in a weeklong family education program at an inpatient treatment center. Direct effects were found between attachment style, lifestyle and patient traits, as well as several significant total effects (combined direct effect and the effect of overall family environment). Specific indirect effects were also found from individual family environment mediators, including moral religious emphasis and control, on the relationship between independent and dependent variables. An analysis of the results is given, along with a discussion of clinical implications and directions for future research.

High Summer is a manuscript-length compilation of narrative science essays that trace the relationship the narrator has with her father. These essays focus on the ongoing presence of drugs, their historical basis, and their pharmacological effects on the body.