Month: May 2011
Doctors against medicalization
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” — Abraham Maslow An addiction physician says: Over the past two years, I've witnessed a worrisome trend: the medicalization of addictions. Some of this makes no sense to me. Let me explain. He describes the emerging norm of discharging patients … Continue reading Doctors against medicalization
The Emperor of All Maladies
I've been reading The Emperor of All Maladies and I've been very struck by the parallels between the is philosophical and practical challenges faced by cancer and addiction researchers, advocates and practitioners. One of the pioneers of cancer research, treatment and advocacy faced difficult decisions about whether to disclose his own illness: Proud, guarded, and secretive—reluctant to … Continue reading The Emperor of All Maladies
The Day
Moby says that the song and video are about addiction.
Addiction in the News
From the director of a Maine OD prevention project: Katz cited Suboxone as the latest drug to be abused. The trend is particularly unnerving because of Suboxone's importance in treating opiate addiction when used for its intended purpose. “Suboxone can turn people’s lives around,” Katz said. “Pharmaceutical companies assured everyone it couldn’t be abused. All … Continue reading Addiction in the News
Does Insite save lives?
Of course it saves some lives. However, that's the wrong question. The right question is whether Insite is the best way to spend $3,000,000 per year to help addicts. Would another approach save as many (or more) lives and have a greater impact on quality of life for addicts, their loved ones and the community? I believe … Continue reading Does Insite save lives?
Tobacco-free policies and treatment completions
Join Together reports on a new study finding that a tobacco-free policy adversely impacted retention rates at one treatment program. Their post fails to mention that this is not the first study to shed light on this question of how tobacco-free treatment policies impact treatment outcomes. A quick visit to our site would have offered … Continue reading Tobacco-free policies and treatment completions
The second ‘A’ in AA
Am I the only one who is really underwhelmed with these recent pieces on whether anonymity in AA has been rendered quaint? To me, they seem to fundamentally misunderstand AA's anonymity. There's plenty of room within AA's traditions for activism and public education, AA members are just advised not to identify themselves as AA members in the media, avoid … Continue reading The second ‘A’ in AA
Not to letting one feeling cancel out the other
the mark of maturity and courage is not to let one feeling cancel out the other, to give people their humanity —Ta-Nehisi Coates A great post about the fear and rewards of giving the addict the right to their own journey from the blog, An Addict In Our Son's Bedroom: It's hard to watch my … Continue reading Not to letting one feeling cancel out the other
Jason Schwartz… Binge inking interview Part 2
Here is part two of Pea Pod's interview with Jason Schwartz on the Binge inking blog. Also, I’ve learned that, even after 20 years or recovery, I am incapable of reliably picking out who will stay sober and who won’t. I’m left having to treat everyone like they’re going to make it.
Recovery Review 