This spring, Rogers Memorial Hospital–Brown Deer began offering a new program: Opioid Addiction Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). The program, which was designed specifically for adults with opioid addiction who want to add medications for reducing withdrawal and cravings symptoms into their care plan, has been well received by patients.

Many adults wrongly believe that once they complete their detox treatment, they will immediately be freed from their drug or alcohol addiction. Beth Shaw, counselor, addiction intensive outpatient program at Rogers Memorial Hospital’s Lincoln Center Outpatient Center in West Allis, knows the work has just begun.

Michael M. Miller, MD, medical director of the Herrington Recovery Center at Rogers Memorial Hospital and attending physician for the adult dual diagnosis partial hospitalization program at Rogers’ new Silver Lake Outpatient Center in Oconomowoc, has served a leadership role in the research and writing process of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (link is external)’s (ASAM) new policy (link is external)statement on marijuana, cannabinoids and legalization. The statement was written to inform Congress, the media, the general public and especially physicians and other healthcare professionals about cannabis and cannabis products and the health impact of expanded access to these substances.

Rogers Behavioral Health is a national leader in the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a widely accepted treatment approach for people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. As the foundation of our treatment programs, studies show that CBT delivered in a highly structured, yet managed approach, empowers our patients to gain control over their symptoms and learn effective strategies they can use throughout their lives.

Commonly referred to as DSM-5 or “psychiatry’s bible,” the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) provides revised criteria to be used by clinicians as they evaluate and diagnose different mental health conditions. Included in DSM-5 is a new chapter on “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders.”

Addiction and mental illness: a circular relationship where one often feeds the other. There are cravings, obsessions and addictions that initially seem to solve issues with self-esteem, body image, family or work problems. Studies show that nearly one-third of alcohol abusers and one-half of drug abusers also battle a mental illness. This makes it difficult to determine if the addiction half of the relationship occurred before, or as a consequence of, the disease.

When thinking about excessive alcohol consumption most people picture the typical adverse effects such as slowed reaction times, poor decision making and even liver problems. But what are the hidden costs of excessive alcohol consumption and can it have a lasting effect on health or even your pocketbook?