[Historia Medica by W. van den Bossche, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons] I thought long and hard about whether to respond to the tone and this article [‘This is Cause for Alarm’: Abstinence-Only Opioid Treatment Is Deadlier Than None, Study Says] about a recently published study on mortality rates for people receiving treatment with Medication … Continue reading Opioid use disorder, the acute care paradigm, and cause for alarm
Month: January 2024
Parallels on Burnout & Buffering Across the Healthcare & SUD Care Systems
The entire US Labor force was devastated by the COVID Pandemic, which created new workforce challenges and exacerbated long standing concerns. Because of the nature of the pandemic, the healthcare sector faced some of the most profound challenges. It is important to understand the impact that these strains have had on the healthcare workforce. Negative … Continue reading Parallels on Burnout & Buffering Across the Healthcare & SUD Care Systems
BC safer supply associated with an increase in hospitalizations (but not deaths)
JAMA Internal Medicine just published a study on the impact of a safer supply program. First the background: In March 2020, British Columbia became the first jurisdiction globally to launch a provincewide Safer Opioid Supply policy that allows individuals at high risk of overdose to receive pharmaceutical-grade opioids free of charge prescribed by a physician … Continue reading BC safer supply associated with an increase in hospitalizations (but not deaths)
Successfully treated for OUD, but the patient died of addiction?
Can the surgery be considered a success if the patient dies? An article in Forbes responds to the coverage of Matthew Perry's death. Specifically, the references to buprenorphine (Suboxone) in his system. Several articles about Matthew Perry’s death have focused on ketamine, and justifiably so, as it was the ultimate cause of the actor’s death (drowning also … Continue reading Successfully treated for OUD, but the patient died of addiction?
Coopted and Colonized – Lessons from the Washingtonian Movement
History is not linear. Our movement, the New Recovery Advocacy Movement, like many social movements in the course of history develop and are then subject to decay. This history is important. The past is the pathway that has led to every door available to us in our current era. We can learn from history to … Continue reading Coopted and Colonized – Lessons from the Washingtonian Movement
2023’s #1 Post: Portraying Abstinence Recovery as Puritanical Is in the Interest of Those Who Sell Addictive Drugs
“I never trust a man who doesn't drink.” – John Wayne People do not trust people who moderate or abstain from substances, particularly alcohol. There is a sense that those of us who do so are looking at everyone else and judging them. I suppose some do, but I don’t think most of us do. … Continue reading 2023’s #1 Post: Portraying Abstinence Recovery as Puritanical Is in the Interest of Those Who Sell Addictive Drugs
2023’s #2 Post: Hot topics in addiction and recovery
What were the hot topics, burning themes and searing subjects in addiction recovery in 2022? I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the talking points on Recovery Review in 2022. Although the writers are very different people and we span the Atlantic, all of the contributors to Recovery Review have a … Continue reading 2023’s #2 Post: Hot topics in addiction and recovery
2023’s #3 Post: “His mom sold the suit she bought for his funeral.”
A colleague spoke these 10 words during group supervision the other day. Ten words that encompass decades. Ten words that could fill a book or a semester. Ten words that describe addiction, trauma, loss of hope, resignation, preparation, change, belief, and somewhere new. Ten words about two actions – the purchase of a suit and … Continue reading 2023’s #3 Post: “His mom sold the suit she bought for his funeral.”
2023’s #4 Post: Zero Sum, Destructive Treatment Marketing
(Screen captured from https://ophelia.com/rehab-relapse on 01/21/2023) Ok... let's talk. A company called Ophelia Health has launched a new marketing campaign focusing on the message "F*CK REHAB". On the one hand, there's A LOT to criticize in the addiction treatment world. At the provider level, there is a long history of really bad, predatory, poor quality, … Continue reading 2023’s #4 Post: Zero Sum, Destructive Treatment Marketing
2023’s #5 Post: Lessons from Rehab
Residential rehab for drug and alcohol problems is a long-established treatment. Recent research has added to the evidence base. In this article, Dr David McCartney passes on the lessons learned from rehab at LEAP, taken from evaluation, research and experience.
Recovery Review 