Essentials: Addiction Medicine: The Elephant in the Middle of Healthcare-Event Handout

Event Handout

Pdf Summary

This document summarizes important information related to addiction medicine. It highlights the impact of substance use problems on patients' health and emphasizes the need for addressing these issues over a long period of time. The document discusses the neurobiology of addiction, the importance of considering substance use problems as chronic diseases, and various treatment options. It emphasizes the prevalence and consequences of substance use problems, such as alcohol-related disorders, trauma, car crashes, opioid overdoses, and mental health readmissions. The document also discusses the high prevalence of substance use problems in pregnant women, families with child abuse victims, and individuals in treatment for drug use. It highlights the role of genetics in addiction and the importance of ongoing treatment and care. The document emphasizes the chronic nature of addiction and compares it to other chronic diseases like depression, diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. It highlights the importance of treatment and its positive impact on reducing substance use and related problems. The document also discusses the current treatment model, the need for collaboration between different healthcare professionals, and the chronic care model of disease. It highlights the increase in mortality rates among middle-aged white individuals in the United States due to drug and alcohol poisonings, suicide, and liver diseases. The document discusses the development of quality measures for opioid use disorder treatment and showcases the initiatives taken by different states in addressing substance use disorders. It emphasizes the evidence-based approach to substance use disorder treatment and the importance of psychotherapeutic interventions in developing awareness, self-efficacy, motivation, and behavioral change. The document concludes by providing resources for further information and support in addiction medicine.

Keywords

addiction medicine

substance use problems

neurobiology of addiction

chronic diseases

treatment options

alcohol-related disorders

opioid overdoses

mental health readmissions

genetics in addiction

psychotherapeutic interventions