During the last two decades Dr. Grinstead has published a number of articles concerning effective treatment for people with chronic pain and coexisting disorders including addiction. His articles have appeared in California Therapist Magazine, Professional Counselor Magazine, Addiction-Professional Magazine, The Gorski-CENAPS© Resource Guide, and New Times - Recovery Newspaper for NCADD in the Silicon Valley. These articles can be used for educational purposes for both healthcare providers and pain patients. Any use of this information other than for education, without permission from Dr. Grinstead is prohibited. For training, consultation, or coaching services in Addiction-Free Pain Management™ click here. Please check back for new additions.
Latest 10 Articles
The Need for Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Treatment
Posted on: Jun 2008
By Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II For years the numbers of people experiencing chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders including addiction have been increasing significantly. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain in 1999 there were approximately 86 million Americans suffering from chronic pain. In 2003, according to Peter D. Hart Research Associates, the number increased to over 117 million adults—about a 35 percent increase. According to researched published in Pain Physician Journal (2006), 90 percent of...
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Relapse Prevention and Chronic Pain Management
Posted on: May 2008
I’ve been certified in advanced relapse prevention therapy and working with patients with chronic relapse episodes since 1991. In addition to an addictive disorder most of these people were also living with chronic pain as well as other coexisting psychological disorders. There continues to be confusion and misunderstanding about what relapse is and how it happens. I want to attempt to clarify my definition of relapse, how it happens and most important how to prevent...
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The Stages & Phases of Concurrent Treatment
Posted on: Apr 2008
By Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II When discussing Addiction-Free Pain Management® (APM) Stages and Phases of Concurrent Treatment for patients with chronic pain and coexisting addiction, I’m often asked when someone has chronic pain and addiction, which condition do we treat first? Many people think it’s one or the other. But it’s not really that simple. For example if you have an arbitrary 100 units of treatment available, it doesn’t mean you use 50 for pain and 50 for addiction. Instead I believe that a...
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The Right to Quality Chronic Pain Management
Posted on: Mar 2008
By Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II Today, chronic pain is one of the most critical healthcare issues in the world. In the United States alone, more than 100 million people suffer with some type of chronic pain—affecting 1 in 5 Americans. Chronic...
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Collaboration NOT Competition
Posted on: Feb 2008
Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II There is a systemic problem that sabotages effective treatment for anyone with an addiction problem, but especially people with chronic pain and coexisting disorders. It’s called Competition! In my experience of working with this population, an integrated, multidisciplinary treatment approach is vital to the success and effectiveness of pain management recovery. But everywhere throughout society competition reigns supreme: in politics, sports, and relationships. It’s fundamental to our American economy...
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Smoking and Recovery Just Don't Mix
Posted on: Jan 2008
By: Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II Throughout my professional addiction treatment career I have been an advocate for people stopping all addictions when they decide to get into recovery. This includes smoking and chewing tobacco. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues do not agree—in fact, many of them are using nicotine addictively themselves. ...
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Treating People In Chronic Pain
Posted on: Dec 2007
Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II People with chronic pain who become addicted to their medication present a difficult challenge to therapists and other treatment professionals. Pain clinics often fail with these people because their addiction disrupts the treatment of the pain disorder. Addiction treatment programs often fail because the pain disorder disrupts the addiction treatment process. People in chronic pain often seek treatment as a result of a complex combination of physical, psychological,...
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Managing Pain Medication in Recovery
Posted on: Dec 2007
Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II &
Sheila Thares, RN, MSN, APNP For someone recovering from chemical dependency, the use of mood altering prescription medication can often lead to relapse. The primary goal of this worksheet is for you to learn how to develop a plan that will prevent sabotaging an effective recovery program, while at the same time avoiding other addiction problems or a destructive pattern of relapse, (for example, ineffective pain...
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Understanding The Addiction Pain Syndrome
Posted on: Dec 2007
Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II Pain is the reason many people start using potentially addictive substances. Mary is an example of what can happen when a pain condition is not managed appropriately and treatment depends only on medication. We know that regular use of psychoactive medication plus a genetic or environmental susceptibility can lead from pain relief to increased tolerance. Both of Mary’s parents were alcoholics and she was in an abusive marriage. She then developed a chronic pain...
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From Despair to Hope: A Recovery Story
Posted on: Dec 2007
Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, LMFT, ACRPS, CADC-II Living with chronic pain is very difficult. If a person also has a coexisting addiction, it makes it even harder. Many people who have chronic pain and addiction become very depressed and begin to feel hopeless. They have often lost their self-esteem and the support of significant others, who may be feeling burned out by trying to be overly helpful. Healthcare providers often become confused and frustrated when none of their treatment interventions seem to work. Sometimes...
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