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January 10, 2019
Long before the opioid overdose epidemic hit the news, alcohol-related deaths were taking nearly 90,000 American lives a year. Despite being the third-leading cause of preventable death in the United States – after tobacco and obesity – alcohol use is often overlooked as an opportunity for life-changing intervention. Decreasing or…
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January 09, 2019
Each February, thousands of people pass through the doors of the Aqua Turf in Plantsville/Southington for the Healthy Family FunFest. More than a health fair, it is an event built on strong local partnerships and a singular goal: provide the community with information, screenings and other resources to improve their…
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December 19, 2018
With the parties, charcuterie platters and twinkling lights of the holiday season comes an increase in alcohol consumption. Adding to the typical warnings about drinking and driving, however, is the heightened responsibility for front-line clinicians to screen for risky drinking and signs of alcohol use disorder, or AUD, according to Dr….
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November 29, 2018
From the control room of the functional MRI at the Institute of Living’s Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Dr. Alecia Dager watches the monitor for signs of activity in the portion of the brain that controls memory, curious as to how the drug impacts this process. (In the image above, the orange…
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November 15, 2018
Tonya Cutler stands in front of the room, tapping a marker on the list of “triggers” written on a large sheet of paper taped to the wall. While one of the eight adolescents in the room paces relentlessly around the perimeter, his ears picking up everything she says, two girls…
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November 15, 2018
News this week that the manufacturer of the electronic cigarette Juul will voluntarily limit sales of its flavored liquids to online purchases is a step in the right direction but certainly not snuffing out the problem, according to some Hartford HealthCare providers. “Regulatory action preventing Juul sales would be great,”…
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November 14, 2018
More teens are vaping now than ever – and parents are concerned. Psychiatrist Dr. J. Craig Allen, medical director at Rushford, has important information for parents, teachers and anyone else with teens in their lives. Q: What do I need to be on the lookout for? A: Familiarize yourself with…
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November 06, 2018
Recent Food and Drug Administration approval of Dsuvia pain medication has stirred controversy in a nation enduring a relentless opioid crisis spurred in part by the physical dependence many people develop after seeking legal remedies for pain. As politicians and caregivers in the nation’s healthcare system struggle to find a…
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October 30, 2018
They’ve been the subject of comedy skits, courtroom dramas and even Supreme Court justice nomination hearings but the reality is that blackouts are a common and dangerous result of excessive alcohol consumption. “A blackout comes after heavy or binge drinking when the person loses control over impulses and, later, has…
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October 26, 2018
PHOTO CREDIT: Gage Skidmore via Flickr It was a prescription for painkillers after eye surgery that served as the entry into a battle against opioid abuse for “Halloween” actress and children’s book author Jamie Lee Curtis. “Getting sober remains my single greatest accomplishment,” she told People. “Bigger than my husband,…