Opioids: Pain, Reward, Play – what drives addiction?
What is the relationship between pain relief, stimulation of the reward-reinforcement circuit, and play and pleasure-seeking? … what combination leads to addiction? … we have increasingly given opioids for chronic pain, only to see the pain not get better – but worse! Also treatment discussions – highly functional, highly paid execs who are just resigned to addiction because the tradeoffs for treatment would be so high. And more on Dr Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab and latest death – the fifth – among the regulars on this reality show. PODCAST
The business of addiction
Addiction, treatment and recovery are spawning more profitable businesses, from high-end treatment to a variety of media with tv series, and this week, a brand new website, by-for-and-of the addiction community. Also news on the cocaine vaccine, and how another state is readying a pseudoephedrine restriction to combat meth.
Treatment: group or individual
Different kinds of therapy – group or individual – are appropriate at different times for different people. Yet controversy continues over which is “best.” Dr Inaba comments.