A University of Michigan study shows that my irresistible midnight cupcake cravings may stem from dopamine-induced neural signals. In other words, totally not my fault. …
Category: Addiction
Fighting binge drinking on campus
Studies have shown that drunk driving and alcohol-related deaths are on the rise on college campuses. Now, 14 colleges and universities - including Stanford - …
Prescription drug addiction: How the epidemic is shaking up the policy world
Last week, the New York Times' Sabrina Tavernese published a moving account of how prescription painkiller addiction is destroying the lives of people in Scioto …
Study shows high rates of substance use disorders among veterans with mental illness
A large number of soldiers returning home are struggling with a wide range of psychological difficulties. An estimated 30 percent of Iraq war veterans have …
Governors to Congress: Help us fight prescription-drug abuse
We've previously reported on the United States' prescription-drug problem, and today the governors of two particularly hard-hit states urged Congress to step in and help. …
Keith Humphreys: Drug-addiction treatment programs for military families are outdated
In an opinion piece titled "The Military's Bad Medicine," Stanford professor Keith Humphreys, PhD, and his co-author Harold Pollack, PhD, take a closer look at …
Stanford analysis suggests Russian anti-alcohol campaign prevented 665,000 premature deaths
Russian public health faces a serious crisis. For decades, the death rate in the country has grown at a relentless pace, doubling since 1970. Russian …
Study shows prescribing higher doses of pain meds may increase risk of overdose
Drug overdose death rates in the United States have risen steadily since 1970 and recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests …
Booze, food more enjoyable to some, possibly predicting risky behavior
The Archives of General Psychiatry served up a pair of interesting studies today that you might consider over dinner today, or perhaps at "happy hour."
The Archives of General Psychiatry served up a pair of interesting studies today that you might consider over dinner today, or perhaps at "happy hour."
Can daily texts help smokers kick their nicotine addiction?
Text messages may be an effective and economical option to help individuals quit smoking and control their cravings, according to research published this week in …
More on the dangers of the "E-personality"
For your listening pleasure this afternoon, another conversation with Stanford psychiatrist Elias Aboujaoude, MD, has been posted online. Aboujaoude, who recently spoke with my colleague …
Anti-anxiety circuit found in unlikely brain region
A generally useful rule in hide-and-go-seek: Always hide where nobody will even think of looking for you. The last place a neuroscientist would think of …
Florida's prescription-drug problem
Florida's serious prescription drug abuse problem was the focus of an NPR segment today. Reporter Greg Allen notes that physicians there "prescribe 10 times more …
Stanford psychiatrist explores how people's online personas affect their real-world lives
In case you missed it over the holiday weekend, the San Jose Mercury News ran a feature on Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the …
The Florida Governor's questionable actions on drugs
A few weeks ago I moderated a panel about methamphetamine and its disastrous effects on Middle America. It was clear from the discussion with Nick …
How to combat prescription-drug abuse
Long-acting prescription opioids (e.g., Oxycodone, Hydrocodone) are powerful clinical tools in some cases but a curse in others. As prescriptions for these medications have increased …