I’ve been watching a really interesting twitter discussion about the conceptual boundaries of recovery. One branch of the discussion got into recovery as a process and as an outcome. It reminded me of this post from 2019. Yesterday, we began to revisit the concept of recovery-oriented harm reduction. Why recovery-oriented harm reduction and not just … Continue reading Revisiting recovery-oriented harm reduction (part 2)
So . . . we’ve dusted off and reviewed my history with recovery-oriented harm reduction. We’ve also explored why I believe recovery and harm reduction should remain distinct constructs. This sets the stage to revisit and update the concept. What is recovery-oriented harm reduction? Recovery-oriented harm reduction (ROHR) seeks to address the historical failings of … Continue reading Revisiting recovery-oriented harm reduction (part 3)
Yesterday, we began to revisit the concept of recovery-oriented harm reduction. Why recovery-oriented harm reduction and not just recovery? 13 years ago, recovery-oriented harm reduction was thought of as a bridge between harm reduction and treatment or recovery. Today, in some circles, it might invite questions about why one would want to maintain a distinction … Continue reading Revisiting recovery-oriented harm reduction (part 2)
The opioid crisis, for good reason, has elevated the role and visibility of harm reduction over the last decade. This seems like a good time to revisit a concept I’ve discussed here several times over the years—recovery-oriented harm reduction. In 2003, we wrote an article about harm reduction that articulated 6 values that guide our … Continue reading Revisiting recovery-oriented harm reduction (part 1)
Between the 25 anniversary of AIDS and questions about the future of Vancouver’s safe injection center, there are tons of articles on harm reduction lately. There’s one characterizing opponents of needle exchanges as indifferent to addict deaths, another finding that a crack paraphernalia distribution program cut disease transmission but increased drug use, another proposing drug … Continue reading Recovery-Oriented Harm Reduction?
I recently stumbled on this educational page about stigma from the National Harm Reduction Coalition. It’s well done and illuminates the assumptions and goals for their stigma reduction efforts. They frame responding to drug use as a choice between liberation and stigma, with harm reduction as the path to liberation. While it may work for … Continue reading 2022’s #10 post: Addiction, Stigma, and Liberation
More and more frequently I’m hearing self-identified and publicly recognized recovery advocates state that providing harm reduction services with the goal of moving people toward recovery or treatment constitutes “doing it wrong.” This perspective isn’t limited to a few outliers, I heard it voiced at a SAMHSA recovery summit and have seen it endorsed by … Continue reading Doing it wrong?
I recently stumbled on this educational page about stigma from the National Harm Reduction Coalition. It’s well done and illuminates the assumptions and goals for their stigma reduction efforts. They frame responding to drug use as a choice between liberation and stigma, with harm reduction as the path to liberation. While it may work for … Continue reading Addiction, Stigma, and Liberation
The DrugWise Daily newsletter noted the passing of Sara McGrail. I never met Ms. McGrail and I didn’t follow her work, but her name rang a bell. I knew I’d interacted with her years ago but couldn’t remember the details. It turns out we interacted around some posts related to harm reduction in 2008. I … Continue reading Thank you, Sara McGrail
Jason Schwartz guest-edits Recovery Plus Journal. Stimulating and relevant articles on: what’s essential for recovery to happen, recovery-oriented harm reduction, problems with ‘sticking with the evidence’, moral injury, and some surprises with language and stigma. Good weekend reading!
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