Co-occurring

A Quiet Drug Problem Among the Elderly

“For years, geriatricians and researchers have sounded the alarm about the use of benzodiazepines among older adults… Now the opioid epidemic has generated fresh warnings, because pain relievers like Vicodin (hydrocodone with Tylenol) and OxyContin (oxycodone) are also frequently prescribed for older people. When patients take both, they’re at risk for overdosing… But fatal overdoses — which are a comparatively tiny number given the size of the older population — represent just one of many longtime concerns about these medications.”

Depression and Addiction: We Must Break the Stigmas

“Depression runs in my family. I didn’t know that for a long time. But once I found out, it was a relief of sorts, because a light bulb went off in my head, and I suddenly had an explanation for some difficult things that were going on in my world.”

Substance Abuse And Mental Disorders Often Go Hand-In-Hand. What's The Status Of Good Treatment?

“Statistics don’t lie: co-occurring mental disorders and addiction - also called dual diagnosis - go hand in hand. In fact, according to several long-standing epidemiological studies, 50% of general psychiatric patients also have a substance use disorder. That’s a harrowing 8.9 million adults, with only 7.4% of individuals receiving treatment for both conditions, this according to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).”