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Category: Addiction and Treatment

Man in suit experiencing back pain

Chronic Pain, Depression, & Addiction: Breaking the Pain Cycle with Psychological Treatments

By: Dr. Hannah Mitchell, PhD, MPH Chronic pain, or persistent pain that frequently interferes with life and professional activities, affects approximately one in five people in the United States.1 Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons individuals seek medical care. It is often a symptom of common chronic conditions including but not limited to arthritis, fibromyalgia, cancer, diabetes, and injury/trauma. People with chronic pain may experience reduced quality of life, poor mental health, and addiction. The Pain Cycle For many people, pain is increased and maintained by a “pain cycle” by which physical pain leads one to disengage from meaningful life activities (e.g., work, social obligations, physical activity). Disengaging leads to negative emotions or depression symptoms (e.g., sadness,

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Empty, well-lit dental office with dental chairs and equipment

Why Dentists and Oral Surgeons Are at High Risk for Substance Abuse

High Substance Abuse Among Dentists and Oral Surgeons Several factors contribute to dentists being at risk for substance abuse and addiction. With a high demand for perfect performance, the isolation of running a practice and business, and access to controlled substances, turning to substances as a form of relief may be tempting. Factors that contribute to substance abuse in the dental and oral surgery profession include:  Isolation Profession-related low self-esteem Access to controlled substances Depression due to work/life balance stressors Demands to be precise; perfectionism Burnout and overwhelm Because many dentists and oral surgeons run their own businesses, stressors they face are often unique to business owners. Dentists and oral surgeons often face the dual demands of practicing as a

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The Psychology of Addiction

Understanding the Stages of Addiction To understand the psychology behind addiction, it is important to start with the basic of the behavior. If you understand the root causes, an addiction may be easier to overcome, treat, or sympathize with the addict’s experience. Addiction is identified by an individual engaging in an activity or behavior that starts as pleasurable but cannot stop the behavior, even to the detriment of everyday living. This may include harm to family, work, hobbies, and other commitments. An addict may set aside their well-being and health or the well-being of their loved ones. In many cases, the cause of the addiction or addictive behavior is some aspect of emotional stress that is deep-rooted, often subconscious, and

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Substance Abuse & Addiction Among Health Care Professionals

New York Health Care Professionals and Substance Abuse Disorders Despite societal perceptions of healthcare professionals and preconceived ideologies, these professionals are just as susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse as in other professions. Society holds healthcare workers to a higher standard than the rest and holds them in high regard for their contribution to the community. Healthcare professionals are here to take care of us. Healthcare professionals know what to do and what not to do to be healthy. Healthcare professionals prevent us from hurting ourselves and sometimes others. We often assume that healthcare professionals will do everything possible to protect their health and well-being, but that is not always the case. Unfortunately, many contributing factors can be a catalyst

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Stimulant Addiction in the Professional World

How Do Stimulants Work Stimulants work on the nervous system to improve cognitive function and alertness, increasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. These natural chemicals help to increase concentration and reduce fatigue. Prescription stimulants treat the symptoms of ADHD, ADD, and narcolepsy, as well as sometimes treat depression. Unfortunately, although these medications can be very helpful in fighting ADD, ADHD, narcolepsy, and depression, they are widely abused, can quickly cause addiction, and are treated as “performance enhancers” in many settings. When prescribed and taken as intended, stimulant medications can help ADD and ADHD patients immensely, but the trouble starts when people without these disorders take the medications. In addition to attention disorder and narcolepsy medications, there are

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Substance Abuse’s Impact on Relationships at Work

Interpersonal relationships are between two or more people and can consist of one-on-one interactions in person, via social media or email, in social settings, or the workplace. In the workplace, substance abuse can affect these relationships differently depending upon the nature of the relationship, whether among peers or in a manager/employee relationship. One of the most obvious ways addiction affects interpersonal relationships is the change in the company an addict keeps. Once drug abuse becomes a habit, the user will choose to remove themselves from family and friends who show concern and surround themselves with other users. This provides a sense of belonging and eliminates questioning, accusing, or accountability to abstain. Although drug abuse certainly affects familial and significant-other relationship

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Peer Pressure and Drug Use in High-Level Positions

High-Stress Careers and the Prevalence of Peer Pressure No one is exempt from peer pressure, not top athletes, movie stars, or even executives in fast-paced, high-level companies. Executive peer pressure is often associated with the need to act successfully and show leadership, even when not in the office. Along with this comes the pressure to do what those before you did, and do what other high-level executives may be doing, including the use of alcohol, drugs, and other addictions to deal with the stress of high-pressure positions. This pressure and need to resemble the crowd are especially prevalent in the hospitality and recreation industry. Although the fun and excitement of the hospitality and recreation industry may bring professionals around illicit

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The Importance of Addiction Treatment for Professionals

Although the image of people struggling with addiction rarely includes white-collar professionals in executive positions, the truth is that addiction is widespread among white-collar professionals. Within high-paying professions lies high stress and high demand for production, leading these professionals down a path that includes drug and alcohol abuse as a way to cope. Addiction affects people at all socioeconomic levels and white-collar professionals and executives are no exception. Rather than dismiss these issues or look past them as uncommon, it is crucial that those affected by addiction find help and understanding both professionally and from loved ones. When addiction takes control of one’s life, it does not matter how far there is to fall, the eventual fall is inevitable and

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Q & A: The Complex Cycle of Alcohol Use and Depression 

By: Tracey Basett, Psy.D. The relationship between depression and alcohol use is a very complicated one. This is because both depression and alcohol can exacerbate the effects of each other in unhealthy ways. Although there is the common perception that depression causes alcohol misuse, the majority of studies show that alcohol use actually increases the likelihood of depression (1 & 2). In addition, studies also report a co-morbid relationship between depression and alcohol that actually increases with age. It has been shown that the combination of Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression is “associated with higher risk of alcohol dependence, suicide attempt, lower global functioning, and life dissatisfaction” (3).  The complex relationship between alcohol and depression for a lot of people

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Adderall Addiction in the Workplace

By Britt Gottlich, Psy.D. At Fifth Avenue Psychiatry, we often get new clients seeking stimulant medications for ADHD. These individuals are usually surprised with how cautious we tend to be with these medications, as our NYC psychiatrists require new or recent neuropsychological testing to confirm this diagnosis rather than just handing out medications based on reported symptoms. The reason we are more conservative with stimulant medications is because of the high rate of stimulant addiction that we see as a result of these controlled substances being prescribed too readily. What are Prescription Stimulants? The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines stimulants as “medications generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy- uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention,

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