Posts by Lynn Webster, M.D.
Will the Opioid Epidemic Ever End? A Closer Look
“Abuse of opioid painkillers and heroin has been spreading throughout the U.S. population, from inner-city youths, jobless rural residents and high school students to wealthy suburbanites, young professionals and pop stars,” according to Peter Katel‘s recent CQ article, “Opioid Crisis: Can recent reforms curb the epidemic?” He continues, “More adults use prescription painkillers than cigarettes,…
Read MoreDr. Lynn Webster Talks Opioid Use on Reddit Ask Me Anything
PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS MUST BE USED WITH CARE Our country is currently facing a crisis. The CDC estimates that opioids were involved with more than 28,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2014. The CDC estimates that at least half involved a prescription opioid. The numbers are staggering. Opioids cannot simply be dismissed, however. Despite the inherent…
Read MoreThe United State of Grief
Steven D. Passik, Ph.D., is a Pennsylvania-based pain psychologist. I’m proud to call him a friend. He is a giant in the field of pain medicine, but that doesn’t make his family members immune to the problems that other chronic patients face. Steve lost his mother on September 14, 2016. He’s given me permission to…
Read MoreHow Media Fuels the Opioid Crisis
Data reporting by the media about the opioid crisis can be confusing, but when it is repeatedly reported inaccurately, it creates a perception of truth. Misinformation by the media can lead the public to demand quick fixes that won’t solve the problem and can make things even worse. Inaccurate Media Reporting Here’s an example of…
Read MoreThe United State of Grief
This is a follow up to a guest blog my friend, Steve D. Passik, posted here on September 21, 2016, called “The Painful Later Years of Frances Passik.” Steven D. Passik, Ph.D., is a Pennsylvania-based pain psychologist. I’m proud to call him a friend. He is a giant in the field of pain medicine, but…
Read MoreHow Canada’s Addiction Treatment Approach Compares to the U.S.
Canada and the United States are good neighbors, and share many values. Although Canada and the United States are part of the North American family, and we feel a kinship to them in so many ways, we have different mindsets about some key issues. Specifically, we do not feel the same way about some healthcare…
Read MoreJoin me on reddit.com tomorrow
I will be doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything) tomorrow at 3 pm EST on Reddit. Check out reddit.com/r/iama, and ask me a question.
Read MoreTough Times Feed America’s Opioid Epidemic: What You Need To Know
The Heroin Epidemic in Huntington, W. VA CNN.com recently published a story called, “In America’s drug death capital: How heroin is scarring the next generation,” Wayne Drash and Max Blau, who reported the story, write intelligently about the heroin epidemic in Huntington, West Virginia. They tell the story the way it should be told. Drash…
Read MoreThe Painful Later Years of Frances Passik
Steven D. Passik, Ph.D., is a Pennsylvania-based pain psychologist. I’m proud to call him a friend. He is a giant in the field of pain medicine, but that doesn’t make his family members immune to the problems that other chronic patients face. Steve lost his mother on September 14, 2016. He’s given me permission…
Read More3 Reasons the New CDC Guidelines May Contribute to the Cost of Addiction
In the September 13 issue of Vice, Maia Szalavitz challenges the myth that the U.S. can solve the opioid crisis by reducing the supply. According to her biography published in Wikipedia, “[Szalavitz] has been awarded the American Psychological Association’s Division 50 Award for Contributions to the Addictions, the Media Award from the American College of…
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