When I was asked to write this article about Buprenorphine, I thought, “There is so much out there on the subject. Don’t you want me to write about something new and different?” But the suggestion came that I approach the drug from a unique standpoint. So let’s tackle the problem about the patients who have [...]

As a specialist in the field of pain medicine since the 1970s (Dr. Gagné), and a clinical psychologist treating chemical dependency and personality and mood disorders since 1980 (Dr. Weedn), it’s hard not to be amazed how far the field has come and yet how perplexing it remains mired in its central conundrum: the tendency [...]

Dialectical Behavior Therapy — or as it is most commonly known, DBT — has become an acclaimed, evidence-based therapy for individuals struggling with a co-occurring disorders. The evidence to support the use of DBT in substance dependence treatment is growing and recognized by prominent authorities in the field, such as SAMHSA (2008 Science and Service [...]

James Hillman once said in his provocative book of the same title, “We’ve had a hundred years of psychotherapy and the world’s getting worse.” Though many would take issue with this satirical, yet telling title, one does begin to wonder how well we are doing in the grand scheme of things related to reducing pain [...]

Many years ago I happened upon a magical island in the Mediterranean where families from all parts of Europe took their holidays. The beaches have the warmest, clearest aqua waters, there are fascinating prehistoric “taula” ruins, a bit like Stonehenge, sprinkled about, and the old towns take me back to a charming other time. I’ve [...]

Given the biopsychosocial nature of chronic pain conditions it is imperative to utilize a multidisciplinary treatment plan for effective pain management.  Living with chronic pain is very difficult.  If a also have a coexisting addiction or other psychological disorders it becomes even harder.  People with chronic pain and coexisting disorders can become severely depressed and [...]

What Makes Boys Afraid to Talk about Sexual Abuse? Boys are under the assumption that they should be able to protect themselves. If someone takes advantage of them, they feel it is their own fault, that they should have been stronger. Boys feel they won’t be believed, especially if a woman perpetrated the abuse. Boys [...]