Summary: One of the first steps in addiction treatment is finding the right clinic. However, those with some addiction find it highly challenging to find the right information. They often regard lack of information as the biggest hurdle in addiction treatment. Fortunately, SAHAMSA, a US govt. agency has developed a website Findtreatment.gov, where one can find information about all the addiction treatment centers nearby. However, users complain that this website does not work as intended. Most of the information provided on the website is either wrong or outdated. Thus, experts think that fixing this website is the single most important thing that the US govt. can do to help people get rid of their addiction.

There is no doubt that US government officials understand the barriers to seeking treatment for drug addiction. They have the budgets and tools to overcome these issues. But regretfully, they have still come up with a solution that does not seem to help as intended.

The reason? This online tool provides inaccurate and outdated information.

Drug addiction is a significant problem in the US. It is the leading cause of death among young adults. Most of these deaths are preventable through timely help. However, young adults feel that finding help is quite challenging.

Many studies have identified barriers to seeking help like lack of anonymity, perceived high costs, lack of sufficient information, and more. In addition, many young adults simply do not know where to seek medical help.

Of course, one of the simple ways is Google search. However, many find that even it does not work well, as it may point to non specialized clinics. Or, many sponsored Google search results are of clinics that may not serve the purpose well.

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) has come up with an excellent idea that could help those living with addiction if it worked. They created a website Findtreatment.gov.

At first sight, it is a pretty good solution. All you need to do is search the website by city or zip code, and it provides a list of all the clinics nearby that can help manage substance addiction. It is a massive database of 13,000 state-licensed treatment facilities. In addition, the website provides detailed information about the kind of services offered in each clinic, what insurance plans are accepted, and what kind of patients they treat.

When the project was launched, everyone was pretty excited, as it was definitely a step in the right direction. Finally, instead of finding information from various sources, one can find all the reliable information in one place.

However, people who have used this platform say it does not serve its purpose well. It is barely in a condition to help people looking for information regarding addiction treatment. As a result, what could have become a gold standard tool for searching for addiction treatment, fails to provide any practical help.

People who have used it for the reasons understood say that when they search the platform, they get a long list of clinics. However, when they start calling those clinics, they learn that either the information is completely outdated or even telephone numbers are not working.

Even if they can contact the addiction treatment clinics, they are surprised to learn that those clinics cannot cater to new clients. This is because they already have too many patients, and thus they are not taking any new patients.

Experts say that if the US has to overcome this substance addiction epidemic and reduce addiction-related deaths effectively, it must use technology. In addition, the government must ensure that its tools are up-to-date and they provide precise information.

People living with addiction are hesitant to seek help. They readily give up if they do not get help after making some effort. One needs to understand that people addicted to substances differ from other patients. They lack that kind of patience. They would not seek help for long. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that when they search for help, it must be available.

The site FindTreatment.gov is still getting about 300,000 visitors. It means that people are trying to use this tool. However, considering the severity of the problem, not many people are using this website. That is why experts say that if the US authorities are serious about helping people with addiction, fixing this website is the most important thing they can do.

Summary: Addiction is a global pandemic, affecting millions in every nation. It is a kind of mental health disorder that requires treatment. However, data shows that 90% of people do not seek medical attention for their addiction. There are many barriers to seeking medical help, like high costs, inability to travel, and low patient privacy. Quit Genius plans to overcome these barriers and improve addiction treatment by providing telehealth services and investing in clinical research. They have already raised $64 million for their project.

Addiction is a severe problem affecting millions of lives. It is a pandemic in every way and yet remains neglected. No nation is free from the problem, though its severity might vary. It means that there is much still to be done in the sphere of addiction treatment. Addiction treatment urgently needs innovation and investments if we want to tame this pandemic.

Not many people are seeking addiction treatment

US addiction statistics are better viewed as an epidemic within the pandemic. Data suggests that 21 million Americans are addicted to one or another thing. Though many believe these are still conservative estimates, real numbers are greater. However, more worrisome is the fact that most people do not seek addiction treatment. Even in the US, just about 10% receive treatment.

These low addiction treatment rates are especially problematic as substance abuse or drug addiction remains prevalent. This is despite being a readily treatable condition. In addition, the annual death rate due to drug overdose is rising. Another worrisome fact is that addiction mainly affects young adults, resulting in significant economic losses for the nations.

Addiction could be too many things, but a more significant concern remains substance misuse. About 15 million people in the US regularly abuse alcohol, more than 2 million are living with opioid addiction, and a few million are addicted to street drugs.

Doctors these days do not see addiction as merely a bad habit, or social issue, as they thought a few decades back. Extensive research into the subject shows that some individuals are prone to addiction. It is a kind of mental health disorder that must be treated.

There are multiple barriers to seeking addiction treatment

However, experts also realize that there is a need to have an innovative approach to addiction treatment to overcome barriers to seeking treatment. Studies show that some of the most significant barriers to seeking addiction treatment are:

● High treatment costs or perceived high treatment costs
● The belief that one can overcome the condition without treatment
● Do not know where to seek medical attention
● Worried that people around will learn about addiction
● Health insurance does not pay for addiction treatment
● It may negatively effect on job
● Disbelief in treatment methods

Quit Genius intends to simplify addiction treatment

One of the ways out could be putting the new technology at work for addiction treatment. Thus, Quit Genius wants to develop a telehealth solution for addiction treatment.

They believe that this would help overcome many barriers to addiction treatment. For example, telehealth can provide better information, help reduce costs, discreetness, and more.

Thus, Quit Genius has already raised $64 million, and they are confident that their approach can significantly impact addiction treatment. They do not just plan to help manage addiction but also focus on investing in addiction research. More significant investment in clinical research would help improve treatment programs.

Founders of Quite Genius believe that telehealth is the way forward as people are now less hesitant to see such a kind of help since they know that there is a person on the other side, too. Thus, now people know that telehealth can provide personalized treatment and emotional support, yet seeking such help does not require much time.

Summary: Studies show that just about 40% of those who begin addiction treatment programs finish it. Moreover, treatment relapse rates are pretty high. It means that the majority of those who start substance abuse treatment fail to benefit. However, studies suggest that non-pharmacological means like regular telephonic follow-up, family support, 12 steps, and spirituality can help improve addiction recovery rates.

Many people living with addiction would like to live a healthy life. Therefore, many of them also join recovery programs. However, it is no secret that many of these de-addiction programs fail long-term. However, initial results may be pretty encouraging.

The National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services survey shows that less than half of those who start treatment for opioid and alcohol addiction complete it. Furthermore, only about 40% of those joining treatments are estimated to finish it. Needless to say, in the long run, just a small number of them can stay clean.

All this means that only a small fraction of those joining addiction treatment programs benefit in the long run. This is a cause for worry. It means that addiction treatment is not able to help well in most cases. However, researchers think that small changes to addiction treatment can substantially increase addiction recovery rates.

Researchers have not realized the factors that influence recovery rates. Using these new techniques means that more than 70% who start substance abuse treatment can finish it, and most of them can stay clean for years. Some are able to live addiction free for the rest of their life.

The Suboxone program is another form taken up for opioid addiction treatment. 

It appears that during treatment, there is a need to resolve addictive behavior. It is about teaching those living with substance use disorder (SUD) new ways of countering their well-established habits. It is also about providing much-needed social support.

For example, a simple measure of making a phone call twice a month may help a patient stay clean. It helps them mentally and emotionally. They feel better connected with their treating doctors. Studies suggest that even such a simple measure of keeping regular contact with the patients can increase their chances of staying addiction free by almost twice. Thus, in addiction treatment, follow-up with patients is critical.

Many other factors influence long-time recoveries, like better social support, family support, and engagement with peer groups. 

Further, recovery rates can be increased significantly through a 12-steps program and spirituality. 

It is about realizing that recovery is a lifelong process. Just completing a few week-long treatments does not mean that a person will be able to stay clean for long. Thus, the two most important factors ensuring long-term recovery are social/emotional support and behavioral therapy.

A 12-step program and spirituality can also help enforce certain things. First, one needs to practice spirituality daily. It is about strengthening willpower, increasing self-confidence, and believing that one can overcome addiction. It is also about developing a moral inventory. Finally, it is about accepting shortcomings and working on them. Prayers and meditation may also help eliminate weaknesses and promote spiritual awakening.

When it comes to long-term recovery, it is not so much about drug therapy as it is about non-pharmacological means. There is increasing evidence that follow-up with patients, providing them with social support, and teaching them ways to alter their behavior can have a significant impact. 

Therefore, all those seeking treatment for their addiction must pay particular attention to the non-pharmacological treatments provided by any addiction center, like social support, 12 Steps, spirituality,  teaching social and cognitive coping, and more.

Summary: In recent years, many telehealth platforms have sprung up. Tele mental help has some distinct benefits like accessibility and lower cost. However, experts think that telehealth platforms for mental health conditions may not be effective in many cases. There are many reasons why experts doubt the efficacy of these platforms. Mental health specialists working on these platforms are not well paid. These are often specialists with minimum experience in managing mental health conditions. Although video calls seem to be quite helpful, other ways of communication like texting are not proven to be effective ways of providing help to those with mental health issues. There are also concerns regarding virtual pharmacies, as these platforms prescribe drugs without seeing the patient and physical examination.

Telehealth has some distinct benefits over traditional medicine. It makes healthcare more accessible, with lower consultation fees, better availability, and higher communication. This does make it one of the excellent ways of providing mental healthcare. Nonetheless, it also lacks some of the traits of traditional medicine and the benefits of face-to-face meetings. Additionally, therapists providing help on some online platforms may lack the expertise to manage mental health issues remotely. Thus, experts are skeptical about the benefits of telehealth.

In recent years, telehealth startups have grown significantly, and the industry is undergoing a boom. This may be explained by increasing rates of mental health issues. CDC data shows that almost 40% of US adults are living with mental health issues or substance use disorders. These are significant numbers. It is not possible to provide help to so many people by using traditional methods. This underlines the importance of exploring innovative methods of providing help to those who need it most. It appears that telehealth may be the way.

Experts remain skeptical about tele help for mental health

The sheer number of people living with mental health issues shows that mental health therapists cannot cope with the problem through traditional channels. This has forced millions of people to turn to online telehealth startups like BetterHelp, and other similar platforms. These platforms provide quick help through face-to-face online meet and also texting.

However, there are many issues associated with these platforms. For example, these platforms have lower consultation fees when compared to traditional therapists. However, experts say that this also means less attention to the patient. Additionally, many psychologists and mental health specialists on these platforms are not experienced enough. Many of these therapists are just starting their journey and are ill-trained to provide adequate help. There are also concerns regarding how these online platforms offer support.

Therapy via texting

Mental healthcare experts are also skeptical about the way online platforms deliver help. Two main ways of understanding patients’ problems and providing psychological support are face-to-face video calls and texting.

Though many claim that these methods work, there is still limited data regarding their efficacy. Among these two methods, direct face-to-face virtual interaction seems to work, as there is some research into the subject. Some studies suggest that these online calls may be as effective as visiting the therapist’s office. However, such interaction would be helpful only in some mental health conditions and not all mental health issues.

There is a complete lack of data when it comes to the efficacy of messaging, texting, and other similar methods. Therefore, it is difficult to say if such methods have significant value in managing mental health issues. However, experts say this is the predominant way of providing help on the telemental health care platforms.

Virtual pharmacies

Another significant concern is the virtual prescriptions that are merely based on the doctor-patient interaction. Even this interaction is often concise. In many cases, doctors need to prescribe antidepressants, psychotropic substances, and other controlled substances. In the case of telehealth, they do it without a physical examination and sufficient testing. This is quite worrisome. DEA has temporarily allowed prescribing controlled substances virtually, mainly due to Covid-19.

Some healthcare experts think that patients may even imitate mental health issues, get virtual prescriptions, and then abuse these substances. This can do more harm than good.

To conclude, this is not to suggest that telemedicine services are not helpful. However, it has its limitations. It may be good in some cases, but in most cases, the traditional way of visiting the healthcare provider is safe and effective.

Summary: Substance abuse disorder (SUD) is a significant health problem. Drug addiction is among the leading causes of mortality in young adults. Medical specialists often struggle to treat SUD, and it has a high relapse rate. A new longitudinal study with a follow-up period of 32 years shows that those who abuse substances in adolescence are more likely to abuse substances in their older age. Thus, people are not likely to grow out of their old addiction. This underlines the importance of seeking early addiction treatment and prolonged care.

Substance abuse disorders are the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in young adults. The problem of substance use disorder (SUD) is even increasing in older adults. Studies now suggest that it is something that starts in adolescence, and people are unlikely to grow out of it.

SUD, or addiction to various substances, including drug addiction, is now a well-studied phenomenon. It is a problem of colossal scale. What is worrisome is that there are no signs that people are anywhere close to overcoming this problem. It remains a major health problem, and even worse are the findings that its prevalence continues to increase.

Treating teenage drug and alcohol abuse is challenging, and there are high relapse rates. Thus, there is a need to counter the problem in its early stages. Hence, it is vital to prevent or manage SUD in adolescents and young adults.

Generally, as people grow older, their habits and preferences change. Therefore, they are pretty likely to give up certain habits. However, the new findings published in the journal JAMA are worrisome, as they indicate that people are not likely to grow out of the problem of SUD.

The findings of the study done by the New University of Michigan are pretty grim. It has been quite a long study with a follow-up period of 32 years. The study found that most of those addicted to various substances at the age of 18 were still suffering from SUD, even after three decades.

Some of the significant findings of study were:

• The study found that addiction problems or SUD was common in adolescents, with 12% living with severe symptoms.
• The follow-up study found that those with severe SUD were more likely to abuse substances or suffer from addiction as adults.
• This relationship between SUD at an early age and the risk of addiction later in life was more visible in those addicted to alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs in their adolescence.
• Most adults prescribed medications like opioids, sedatives, and benzodiazepines were those living with SUD during their adolescence.

Experts say this is a wake-up call, as it shows that the problem of SUD starts quite early and continues to affect people for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, it means that treating addiction at a young age is of significant importance, as preventing addiction in those living with SUD in adolescence is quite challenging.

Another issue is the choice of medications. Many medications used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction may also increase the risk of SUD later in life. Thus, people treated with anti anxiety drugs, painkillers, and given sedatives at a young age are also more likely to develop SUD later in life.

It also underlines the importance of history taking when treating older adults living with SUD. Knowing more about their past habits and what medications they took as young adults is vital.

The study also found that most people living with SUD did not seek opioid treatment. Thus, educating people and raising awareness of the topic is also necessary. This education regarding the health risks of addiction must continue through adulthood.

Additionally, people with a history of abusing multiple substances during adolescence must be treated as high-risk individuals. These are the people who are pretty likely to misuse drugs later in their life.

Further, experts recommend that there is a need to find innovative ways of preventing SUD in older adults. For example, health insurance may include other services aimed at preventing and treating relapse later in life.

This study clearly highlights the importance of long-term follow-up of individuals who were treated for SUD as young adults. Such individuals should get continuous education and care during their adulthood.

Summary: Tobacco smoking is a significant cause of many diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and immune dysfunction, to name a few. Fortunately, smoking rates have declined during the last few decades. This has also resulted in a reduced incidence of lung cancer and many other smoking-associated conditions. Nonetheless, smoking still remains a significant health concern. 12.5% of the population still continues to smoke. Therefore, there is a need to find effective ways to help people quit smoking. One of the good ways to help people is nicotine replacement therapy. However, the new study shows that nicotine replacement therapy is almost twice more effective if combined with intensive telephone-based counseling.

Smoking, particularly tobacco or cigarette smoking, can be pretty harmful to health. It can harm almost every organ of the human body. Thus, no surprise that despite declining smoking rates, about 16 million adults are still living with smoking-related ailments. Smoking is a significant cause of lung cancer, various lung diseases, heart disease, stroke, COPD, immune dysfunction, and more.

 

Fortunately, people now realize the health risks posed by smoking. This is evident from the falling rates of smoking. Just in the last couple of decades, millions have quit smoking. As a result, smoking rates since 2005 have fallen from 20.9% to 12.5%. This has also helped reduce lung cancer rates significantly and reduce cancer-related mortality. Nonetheless, a considerable population continues to smoke, and thus the need to find ways to reduce smoking rates as further.

 

Smoking continues to pose a significant health threat

 

To know how addictive cigarettes are; smoking still continues to kill close to half a million people in the US alone each year. The fight against tobacco is far from over. Therefore, there is a need to find ways to help more and more people quit smoking.

 

At present, there are many ways to help people quit smoking. One of the well-known and effective ways to reduce or quit smoking is using nicotine-based chewing gums. These gums contain small amounts of nicotine to reduce tobacco craving. These nicotine-containing gums are still harmful to health, but they help.

 

It appears that in many cases, simple methods work, like practicing relaxation techniques and reminding individuals to quit smoking. The new study shows that reminding people to quit smoking over the telephone may also help. It seems that telephone-based counseling is especially useful when used with other methods like nicotine replacement therapy.

 

A new study confirms the effectiveness of intensive telephone-based counseling

 

Recently Georgetown University Medical Center carried out a study in which they explored the role of intensive telephone-based counseling in smoking cessation. It is interestingly studied as it enrolled long-term smokers aged 50-80 years of age. They enrolled 818 habitual smokers in the study. Some people have been smoking for more than ten years.

 

They randomly divided these individuals into two groups. One group was given nicotine replacement therapy (like nicotine gum, patches, and so on) along with usual health advice. However, another group was given intensive telephone-based counseling along with nicotine replacement therapy.

 

The researchers were amazed to see that smoking cessation rates were double in those with intensive telephone counseling. In those with regular treatment and counseling, the smoking cessation rate was 7.9% after three months. However, this rate was 14.3% after three months in those who received intensive telephone counseling.

 

These smoking cessation rates were measured through self-report by the patients. However, researchers also decided to check if patients were telling the truth. Thus, they checked their patients with the help of saliva strips for carbon monoxide to confirm the smoking cessation rates. And they found that though actual smoking cessation rates were a bit lower, in those with intensive telephone counseling, smoking cessation rates were twice as higher than in another group.

 

This study confirms the benefit of medical counseling and use of telemedicine addiction treatment in smoking cessation. Although one can buy nicotine replacement patches and gums without a doctor’s prescription, this study shows that smoking cessation rates would be much higher in those who would seek medical advice. This highlights the importance of specialized clinics in helping people quit smoking.

Summary: Depression is the most common mental health disorder. Although it may affect most people in their lifetime, 8.4% of Americans live with severe depression, also called Major Depression. Tens of medications and telehealth treatment are available to treat the condition, and patients have to take them for years. However, many fail to benefit from prolonged treatment. The new study shows that genetic testing may help identify the right kind of antidepressants for patients, and thus it can help improve treatment outcomes.

For those living with depression, getting treatment that helps is a significant issue. It means that millions of people continue to live with depression despite taking many medications. The new study provides hope, showing that genetic testing may help improve treatment outcomes.

Anxiety and depression are the two most common mood disorders. These are also the most common mental health disorders globally. Among the two, depression is a more severe condition since it is associated with fatal outcomes. People with severe or major depression may show suicidal tendencies.

Depression may affect about one-third of adults in their lifetime. Fortunately, most are affected by mild to moderate depression, which is often a self-limiting mental health issue. However, US data suggests that about 8.4% or 21 million US adults may experience major depressive episodes. Unlike mild to moderate depression, Major depression is a severe illness requiring pharmacological treatment.

Some signs of major depression include lack of sleep, energy, concentration, low self-worth, and even suicidal thoughts. Thus, it is something that must be treated in all cases.

Identifying the right antidepressant is challenging

There are a plethora of antidepressant drugs. However, the problem is that none of these medications work for all; thus, choosing the proper medication is a significant challenge. Even worse, many fail to experience substantial benefits even after taking multiple drugs. In addition, many fail to respond to prolonged drug therapy.

Although there are many antidepressants, the major problem is finding the right drug that may work for that particular individual. There is no reliable way to know which drug is the best for a given patient. However, if there were a way or medical test that could suggest the right antidepressant for an individual, then the treatment would be much better.

Genetic testing may help identify the right antidepressant for an individual

It appears that a study by the US Department of Veterans Affairs has identified the way of finding the right drug for various patients. They have also found a way to improve the efficacy of the treatment. In addition, specific genetic tests may help identify the right kind of drugs for various patients.

This genetic testing is not for depression or genes associated with depression. Instead, it is about understanding how a person metabolizes specific medications. For example, all antidepressants are metabolized in the liver. The liver metabolizes these drugs using CYP450 enzymes or metabolic pathways. These enzymes seem more active in some and less active in others. Thus, the same antidepressant medication may be quickly metabolized in one and much slower in another. Hence the difference in the drug efficacy.

In the study that included 2000 patients, researchers carried out gene testing. They found that 59% of patients who have undergone gene testing could receive medications without known drug-gene interaction. On the contrary, only 26% of patients received such medicines in the control group.

Since genetic testing helps select the right kind of medications. Researchers found that at 12 weeks, the drop in depression symptoms in those with genetic testing was much more than in those who were not tested. However, the study also found that at about 24 weeks, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

This study shows that genetic testing may help provide faster relief from major depression in many instances. Although, in the long run, it does not seem to affect the treatment outcomes much.
This is among the first studies of this kind, which is significant because it has a large sample size (number of participants). Thus, the study is highly reliable. Nonetheless, there is still a need for more studies to start recommending genetic tests for those living with major depression. However, this study confirms that genetic testing can be included in treating major depression, as it can help select the right antidepressants.

Summary: Substance abuse or addiction is the leading cause of mortality among young adults. It is a highly preventable condition. However, with high relapse rates, modern addiction treatment is far from satisfactory. Thus, there is a need to find more effective ways of addiction treatment. In the retrograde study, researchers found that people with brain lesions of certain parts of the brain were able to quit smoking. They found that this was associated with some changes in brain circuits. They think that in the future, these findings may help treat addiction. Doctors can identify and then alter the activity of these brain circuits by using different non-invasive methods.

Substance abuse is the leading cause of death among young adults. It results in several hundred thousand deaths in the US alone each year. Most of these deaths could be prevented through effective addiction treatment.

However, despite years of research, addiction treatment is far from satisfactory, with high relapse rates. The truth is that most people fail to benefit from addiction treatment.

The problem with modern addiction treatments is that they do not focus on exact brain areas. Instead, doctors use different addiction treatment methods like nicotine replacement therapy to reduce nicotine cravings. Similarly, they might use drugs to reduce cravings for various other substances.

However, science also knows that brains are wired quite differently in some individuals, and they do not become addicted to substances, even after prolonged substance use.

Not only that, researchers have found that many people can get rid of their addiction or make a complete recovery after a stroke or specific brain injuries. Again, this underlines the importance of specific brain pathways or circuits in substance abuse.

Suppose science could clearly understand the role of various brain centers, and circuits in addiction. In that case, they might be able to create brain lesions through surgery or use non-invasive methods to stimulate specific brain circuits and thus help people eliminate their addictions.

A new study could confirm the role of brain circuits in addiction

This new study is a step forward in addiction treatment. Researchers could identify the connection between certain brain circuits and addiction. This study differs in the way that, unlike early studies focusing on certain brain centers, this study focused on specific brain circuits.

It means that stimulating the different parts of the brain may help get rid of addiction. However, this means that the focus must be on modulating brain circuits, not specific brain centers.
This particular study is a retrograde study. Researchers found that some individuals could quit smoking after a stroke or other brain lesions. However, they understood that this must be related to disruptions in certain brain circuits.

In the study, researchers found that although all the people who could get rid of their addiction had lesions at different locations, these locations were part of specific brain circuits. It means that it is not vital to alter the working of specific brain centers to treat addiction. Instead, doctors need to focus on specific brain circuits.

There could be many ways to alter these brain circuits, like creating lesions through surgery. However, researchers are more interested in non-invasive methods like deep brain stimulation, MRI-guided ultrasound, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. These non-invasive methods are pretty safe and can help alter brain circuits.

Researchers think they are on the right path, as understanding the role of brain circuits in various disorders can also help treat various neurological conditions. For example, it may help manage tremors associated with different brain disorders.

Researchers say that there are still some limitations to their findings. This present study mainly focused on nicotine addiction in those who suffered brain lesions. They are unsure if similar kinds of brain circuits are involved in other types of addictions like alcohol.

Additionally, these are retrograde studies in those who suffered from brain lesions due to some disease. However, researchers would need to find ways of modulating these brain circuits safely in healthy adults, to help them overcome addiction.