substance abuse

Substance Use Disorders: What to Know

Substance use disorders describe a specific set of disorders—including the abuse of alcohol, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, and anxiolytics—which impair the individual in some way. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5), “The essential feature of a substance use disorder is a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating that the […]

Schizophrenia and Adolescent Substance Abuse

The classic Carlson text on the physiology of behavior does an excellent job providing a review of the literature concerning the pharmacology, neurology and epidemiology of schizophrenia. I was a bit disappointed, however, with a distinct lack of treatment concerning the (possible) relationship between schizophrenia and substance abuse. More specifically, I was interested in any […]