Thanks to COVID-19 vaccines, this year’s holiday season is likely to feel more “normal” than last year, with family gatherings, holiday parties, and many other traditional festivities making a cautious return. For people in recovery from a substance use disorder, the holidays can be an especially difficult time for a number of reasons. Parties, gatherings, […]
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Women Are Drinking More Than Ever. Many May Not Be Aware How It Is Affecting Their Health.
Women have increased their heavy drinking days by 41%. The pandemic is partly to blame, but the problem didn’t start there.
How Likely is Your LGBTQ Teen to Use Drugs and Alcohol? Your Support Could Be the Deciding Factor
Research shows that LGBTQ youth are two to four times more likely to use substances than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Find out why and learn what kinds of support help most.
Opportunity Out of Crisis: A Natural Experiment
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges and opportunities for substance disorder treatment. IRETA and Vital Strategies are studying effects of OTP rule changes.
Skyrocketing Methamphetamine Overdose Deaths Show Our “Crisis Response” Must Expand Beyond Just Opioids
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a study that shows a combination of two medications, injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion, is safe and effective in treating methamphetamine use disorder.
A New Service Delivery Model: How IRETA has Adapted Clinical Quality Improvement in the Era of COVID
IRETA faced the challenge of switching completely to telehealth with very little notice. IRETA’s Director of Clinical Quality Improvement Services, David Reazin, MHS, answered questions about what it was like to adapt to telehealth and the pros and cons of virtual groups.
Compassion Fatigue: A Personal Account from an IRETA Clinical Quality Improvement Associate
I don’t believe that we can truly understand what those teachers lecturing about clinician burnout means until we’re “in the trenches” of this field. Let’s talk about compassion fatigue.
Medical & Pharmacy Students Learn Skills About Addiction And Its Treatment Despite Challenges Amid Pandemic
IRETA has hosted medical students in Pittsburgh for the Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders. The fellowship offers medical students, typically between their first and second years of medical school, an intensive learning experience about substance use, addiction, and addiction treatment.
The War on Drugs Has Damaged Black Communities and Deepened Racial Bias
At IRETA, we often begin with the premise that “the system produces the results it is designed to produce.” Therefore, if clients regularly drop out of your treatment program – it’s time to take a hard look at your system and how it’s “working.” Because it is working, the question is whether you like the results.
You Have Options For Dealing With Alcohol Withdrawal
It’s common to imagine ‘detox’ as a place you stay for a while, but most people in alcohol withdrawal can be managed as outpatients. In short, this is a dangerous time to be physically dependent on alcohol.
