Effective Addiction Treatments are Available

By John Renner, MD and Frances Levin, MD

We are all saddened by the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman and the many other
individuals who have died because of overdoses of heroin or pain
medications.  For all of those individuals who struggle with opioid use
problems, it is important to realize that help is available and that effective
treatment can restore them to productive lives.  Some 4.7 million people
in the U.S. have used heroin at least once in their lives.  It is estimated that nearly a quarter of
people that use heroin become dependent on it.



Whether it be through mutual support programs such as NA, long-term residential
treatment, or addiction pharmacotherapy with buprenorphine, methadone or ER
naltrexone, no individual need fear that their condition cannot be
treated.  Friends and family members also need to be educated in the use
of intra-nasal naloxone for the reversal of opioid overdoses.  



APA has long fostered the development of addiction focused training programs
for psychiatrists.  Many psychiatrists have been specifically trained
to provide office-based addiction pharmacotherapy and to manage the
co-occurring psychiatric disorders that often complicate recovery from
substance use disorders.  

More information:

·        
Information on addiction

·         Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit (SAMHSA)

·        
Substance
use treatment locator (SAMHSA)

·        
Buprenorphine Physician
and Treatment locator (SAMHSA)

·        
For psychiatrists:  Providers
Clinical Support System for Medication Assisted Treatment

Blog
contributors:

John
Renner, MD

Member, APA Council on Addicition Psychiatry (Past Chair)
Director of Addiction Fellowship Program,

Professor of Psychiatry,  Boston University School of Medicine



Associate Chief of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System

Frances Levin, MD

Chair, APA Council on Addiction Psychiatry
Kennedy-Leavy Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center

Director, Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship,

New York Presbyterian Hospital

New York State Psychiatric Institute

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