Addiction Information March 2013 Newsletter

This month we celebrated Human Rights Day in South Africa. I was given the opportunity to share my opinion on why those suffering from addiction are seldom afforded the same rights as others. A copy of my speech can be found here: Human Rights Day: Addicts are also Human. This month saw the first International Conference on Behavioral Addictions taking place in Budapest and so it is fitting to talk a bit about gambling addiction. Also in this issue: 

The DeltaFOSB Feedforward Loop, Drug Court, The Portuguese Drug Policy, Russel Brand on Addiction, Discontinuation of Sublingual Buprenorphine and Possible Approval for Buprenorphine Implants

Human Rights Day Speech

Addicts Are Also Human

By Shaun Shelly
This is a speech I delivered at a public function held to celebrate Human Rights Day in South Africa. Addicts are one of the most marginalised groups in society, not even enjoying the right to freedom or medical care:

The Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.  It places a responsibility on the state to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights in the Bill of Rights.

Addiction Information February 2013 Newsletter

This is Newsletter Number 2, which is a little late due to a crashed hard-drive. The only two documents I had not backed up were the talk I was due to present "Sex, Drugs and No Control", and this newsletter, so it was back to the keypad! But we've made it, although in a slightly shorter version. I hope you find this summary of addiction news from around the world useful. Your suggestions are again most welcome, and articles for the website or that you would like to have linked to this newsletter can be directly submitted to me by e-mailing shaun.shelly@yahoo.com.

Please like us on facebook.

In this issue: 
Inside Rehab, Celebrity Rehab, Recovery or Treatment?, Dr Mark Willenbring, OST, Naloxone, NMDA  Modulators, Epigenetics, Frankenstien Drugs, Local Research, Ibudilast for Meth addiction?, Policy in NZ, Columbia and Africa, Banker or Dealer?

Sex, Drugs, and No Control

Sex as Addiction and the Treatment Thereof

There is much controversy around the use of the term "sex addiction." This article gives a brief overview of the arguments against this term, and then shows some of the aspects as to why sex may indeed be an addiction and how it may be treated. There is certainly a need for further research in this area before anything definitive can be proclaimed, but perhaps the study of behaviours that present as addiction can give us further insight and understanding of exogenous addictions.

PDF Version (Printable)

According to the DSM-V Sex Addiction is not a diagnosable condition. Sexual addiction was mentioned in the DSM-III-R, but disappeared in the DSM-IV, threatened a come-back in the DSM-V but has now been discarded. Sex, however, has long been described as addictive. In the late 1800s Freud described masturbation as the “original addiction.” Rado in the 20’s described addiction as “compulsive” and made the reward/pleasure/sex link. We saw words such as nymphomania (Ellis) and the clumsy “Don Juanism”(Stoller). In the 70’s Mac Dougall spoke of “addictive sexuality”. It was originally proposed that sex be included under the heading of addiction in the DSM-5, and then that was discarded and the idea of hyper-sexuality was introduced as a possibility. Eventually none of these proposals was accepted, and so sexual addiction has ceased to exist, according to the DSM, that is.

Addiction Information January Newsletter

Introduction

Welcome to the first Addiction Information Newsletter. The object of this newsletter is to give you a monthly overview of what is happening in the world of addiction across a number of fields. You can subscribe to this newsletter and receive an e-mail version by joining our mailing list. Your suggestions are most welcome, and articles for the website or that you would like to have linked to this newsletter can be directly submitted to me by e-mailing shaun.shelly@yahoo.com.

In this issue:

The Motivated Addict, Dual-process models, CBT Ineffective?, Drug Policy, Brain Structure, Meth Psychosis, Transcriptional Mechanisms, Nepicastat & 18-MC Trials, Neuroscientist Marc Lewis, Dr Frankenstein's Cure and "beating addiction"

CBT Doesn't Work for Heroin Addiction?

Study Suggests Buprenorphine is enough. I Disagree.

In the January 2013 edition of The American Journal of Medicine there is a clinical research study conducted by members of the Yale University of the School of Medicine entitled: A Randomized Trial of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Primary Care-based Buprenorphine. (Fiellin, et al., 2013). In the abstract for the study, the stated objective was “To determine the impact of cognitive behavioral therapy on outcomes in primary care, office-based buprenorphine/naloxone treatment of opioid dependence.” The abstract concludes: “Among patients receiving buprenorphine/naloxone in primary care for opioid dependence, the effectiveness of physician management did not differ significantly from that of physician management plus cognitive behavioural therapy.”

In the Press.....

   

PRISON NO CURE FOR ADDICTION: EXPERT
By simone.williams
2013-01-15 09:00   
HARSH penalties for drug-related crimes do more harm than good.

This is according to Shaun Shelly, Addictions Programme Manager of Hope House Counselling Centre in Military Road, Retreat. In his opinion, the Drug Watch campaign by LeadSA, and editorial comments and letters in the local press seem to all be praising criminal sanctions for drug addicts encouraging harsher penalties. He complains his letters to the press have been ignored by editors.