Alcohol-use-disorder | CARLAT PUBLISHING

CLINICAL UPDATE

Despair, Loneliness, and Substance Use Disorders

October 21, 2020

Rehan Aziz, MD. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Aziz has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Loneliness is a readily measurable phenomenon and it predicts worse outcomes in addiction treatment on the individual and population levels. What can we do in the clinic to combat loneliness and promote social cohesion?

Faith and Addiction

October 21, 2020

Jesse Koskey, MD.

Jesse Koskey, MD. Psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente, CA. Dr. Koskey has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Faith may be a protective factor against addiction, and some widely accepted treatments use faith to build recovery capacity. This article reviews the evidence for faith-based treatment and provides suggestions for incorporating faith in the clinic.

Is AA the Toast of the Town?

October 21, 2020

Edmund S. Higgins, MD.

Edmund Higgins, MD Dr. Higgins has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the most prevalent treatments for alcohol use disorder, but claims of its effectiveness has been mired by limited evidence. This updated Cochrane meta-analysis tells a fuller story and offers suggestions for supporting patients utilizing this ubiquitous program.

A Timely Look at Community Reinforcement for Seniors With Unhealthy Alcohol Use

October 21, 2020

Jesse Koskey, MD.

Jesse Koskey, MD. Dr. Koskey has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Interventions that combat isolation may be particularly important in the context of current physical distancing recommendations. This randomized trial tested whether community reinforcement paired with motivational enhancement therapy impacted outcomes among seniors with alcohol use disorder.

Efficacy and Acceptability of Varenicline for Alcohol Use Disorder

August 6, 2020

Richard Moldawsky, MD

Richard Moldawsky, MD Dr. Moldawsky has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol have reciprocal influences on each other. In this meta-analysis of nine randomized studies, the authors appraise the evidence for varenicline use for alcohol use disorder specifically.

Does Baclofen Titrated to High Doses Reduce Alcohol Use?

June 10, 2020

Thomas Jordan, MD.

Thomas Jordan, MD. Dr. Jordan has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Previous trials of baclofen for alcohol use disorder have used fixed or rather low doses, and the results have been mixed. This was the first randomized trial to allow up-titration of the dose depending on the patient’s response.

Gabapentin for Alcohol Use Disorder, Redux

June 10, 2020

Rehan Aziz, MD.

Rehan Aziz, MD. Dr Aziz has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Which patients with alcohol use disorder might benefit from gabapentin most? This randomized controlled trial focused on gabapentin’s impact on alcohol use among patients with alcohol use disorder and who had also had alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the past.

EXPERT Q&A

Personal Privacy Versus Public Safety: Addiction Among Health Professionals

March 30, 2020

Paul H. Earley, MD, DFASAM

Paul H. Earley, MD, DFASAM
Medical director of the Georgia Professionals Health Program, Inc. Distinguished Fellow of ASAM. President of the Federation of State Physician Health Programs. Dr. Earley has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Dr. Paul Earley, president-elect of the Federation of Physician Health Programs, outlines the offerings of physician health programs, how to engage yourself or colleagues in treatment, and how treatment may interface with medical boards.

CLINICAL UPDATE

Learning From the Successes of Physician Health Programs

March 30, 2020

Physician health programs have boasted high rates of treatment retention and abstinence rates, yet have also been the targets of criticism. Here we review what the practicing clinician can learn from these programs and describe current controversies.

Exposure Therapy Efficacious for PTSD Co-Occurring With Alcohol Use Disorder

November 22, 2019

Brian Frankel, MD

Brian Frankel, MD Dr. Frankel has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Prolonged exposure is one of the best treatments available for patients with PTSD. This study examines the advantages of using prolonged exposure for patients who have PTSD with co-occurring alcohol use disorder.