Drugs and the Brain

What is binge drinking? Binge drinking is a popular form of excessive alcohol use, which the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above.” For a typical American adult male, this translates to drinking 5+ servings…

Are you or a loved one struggling with substance abuse and you’re not sure why? Gaining insight into the motivation behind the drug use is a great first step towards recovery. There is no one answer to the question “why do people use drugs?” but we have provided the following list of potential reasons as…

Dream Journal Volume XXXIV / NOV 2015 Note from Dr. B. The ongoing opioid overdose crisis has prompted the CDC to take action in the form of developing new guidelines for qualified prescribers. First and foremost, the CDC stresses that opioid therapy should be utilized only if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Opioids can…

The Dream Journal Volume XXXIII / October 2015 Note from Dr. B. The Walk on Washington was a great success! The Two Dreams staff gathered in Washington DC on October 4th in a collective effort to support policies that will improve addiction recovery and end the stigma against those with the disease. Major media networks covered…

Dream Journal Volume XIX / July 2014 Note from Dr B. It gives me great pleasure to announce that I have been featured in the current issue of Addiction Professional Addiction Professional. I emphasize in the article the call to come together as treatment providers and programs and set aside our differences. This message parallels our theme…

VOLUME I / JAN 2013 Two Dreams is a wellness program led by Andrea G. Barthwell, MD, FASAM that provides individualized care for those who dream of recovering a healthy lifestyle. NOTE FROM DR. B. As the New Year begins, we transition from our monthly focus on the Twelve Steps of AA to this year’s…

VOLUME XXIII / NOV 2014 Two Dreams is a wellness program led by Andrea G. Barthwell, MD, FASAM that provides individualized care for those who dream of recovering a healthy lifestyle. NOTE FROM DR. B. This month we gathered together for a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with the Two Dreams Outer Banks staff, clients, and family…

Yes. The question of whether or not drug rehab “works” is a complex one, but the fact is that it has changed and saved the lives of millions of people. Statistics are hard to come by, because recovery is a multidimensional process and therefore difficult to pin down with a rating scale. For this reason,…