addiction
Why Narrative Matters
This article, in a slightly edited form, first appeared in American Council on Science and Health on April 7, 2026. We are living through a paradox in modern medicine: widespread pain, yet shrinking access to the most effective relief. As policymakers restrict certain treatments, millions of patients are increasingly steered toward alternatives that may…
Read MoreA Drug Problem Isn’t a Moral Failing
We may never know why Rush Limbaugh made the choices he did. But, just as we would never think of berating him for falling victim to the lung cancer that took his life, we also shouldn’t chastise him for misusing painkillers.
Read MorePause
I am taking a pause in writing blogs, columns, and editorials. I sincerely want to thank everyone who has followed me. I hope you all will continue to seek factual information. Please know that my commitment to the pain and addiction community is as strong as ever.
Read MoreThe Victim of a Created Crisis — Left Behind
There have been just north of 68,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2018. The largest new healthcare crisis in America.
Read MoreWhen Anger Is Destructive
People can be forgiven for getting angry in the moment. If they have experienced a personal loss from prescription opioids, it’s reasonable for them, in their grief, to blame opioids or the doctor who prescribed them. But it’s harder to accept their vengeances when they draw a false equivalency between prescription opioids and illicit drugs.
Read MoreThe Reason People Become Addicted Is Multifactorial
Debunking the Myths About Why Opioid Addictions Develop
Read MoreThe Most Addictive Drug in the World
A combination of genes and environmental factors may put some people at risk of developing a caffeine addiction. The fact that it’s “only” caffeine or that it’s legal to buy caffeine doesn’t mitigate the dangers.
Read MorePunishment for Opioid Abuse Linked to Increase in Newborn Opioid Withdrawal
About half the states in the United States are willing to punish pregnant women in order to spare their babies the agony of being born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Ironically, their efforts are having the opposite effect.
Read MoreEmpathy Must Be Included in Pain Management Education
The National Institutes for Health (NIH) has published a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks input from “stakeholders throughout the scientific research and medical education community and the general public regarding the Centers for Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs) educational content regarding treating pain and opioid misuse or use disorder.”
Read MoreAddiction and the 2020 Presidential Race
The ideal presidential candidate should recognize the tragedies associated with all addictions, not just with prescription opioids.
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