Substance Disorder 101: Substance Use Disorder (Addiction)

Course overview

Every 6 minutes in our country, a person dies from prescription drug overdose, while a child is also born approximately every 30 minutes dependent (not addicted!) upon opioids. How do we as healthcare professionals offer non-stigmatic patient care and contribute to the progress of society in the right direction? While an OT/PT professional provides patient care, patients will talk about just anything, and one pivotal conversation may revolve around substance use disorder, a.k.a. addiction. Addiction is likened to an iceberg or a weed, in that the issues underneath the surface, are typically even more complicated than what is viewed from the surface. Thus, in this discussion, we will review the core concepts and understandings of substance use disorder (addiction). So, join us for a conversation on addiction that will be sure to impact your patient care, maybe your own opinions, and perhaps even your holiday family meal conversations!