Earlier this month, Dr. Thomas McLellan, Dr George Koob, and Dr Nora Volkow published a viewpoint article at JAMA titled Preaddiction—A Missing Concept for Treating Substance Use Disorders.  It is an important piece. The concept of preaddiction could dramatically expand our intervention strategies and better help us address the horrific consequences of harmful substance use … Continue reading Preaddiction as a Missing Concept in Articulating the Dynamics of Healing & Recovery

“Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit -- in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in … Continue reading Are We Serving as Good Stewards in Our Collective Responsibility to the Recovery Community?

As Bill White's page has moved, I updated all the links, fixed typos and placed all of the interviews available as PDFs as well as hyperlinked to the Recovery Review page. Also, I am pleased to note that the training I developed based on this body of work has been academically vetted and is available … Continue reading Updated NRAM Interviews & Related Links

Persons like me in long term recovery can face horrible treatment if it becomes known we have had a substance use disorder. This is particularly true when we may need controlled substances as part of our legitimate medical care. There are now algorithms being used to scan our personal and medical data to see if … Continue reading The Algorithm of Medical Care Discrimination

Our substance use care system workforce has long faced very high turnover rates. One of the studies from years ago that always stuck with me as framing out the challenges and value of working in our field, was from 2003, the toughest job you'll ever love: A Pacific Northwest Treatment Workforce Survey. It identified turnover … Continue reading Loss of Institutional Knowledge – a Critical Tipping Point in the SUD Workforce Crisis

“. . . the individual, family and community are not separate; they are one. To injure one is to injure all; to heal one is to heal all. – from The Red Road to Wellbriety, 2002” – as quoted by William White, Recovery Rising Perhaps the most important insight in recent recovery history is that … Continue reading Headwinds for Recovery Community Self Agency

“I don’t even agree with myself 100% of the time” – me It is a tongue in cheek self-quote. Cheap, but true and relevant to the piece. Perhaps you may even identify with it. Afterall, we all hold views that seem contrary or in conflict with each other. It is the essence of the human … Continue reading Spanning the Chasm Between Us

If effectively addressing addiction was easy and straightforward, we would have done so already. In reality, it is a multifaceted condition that defies narrow solutions. There are complex genetic and environmental factors that lend themselves more to a continuum of use, problematic use and addiction that is not consistent with either / or check box … Continue reading Towards More Compassionate Care for Not Just Another Medical Disorder

We saw a huge surge in alcohol misuse from the very earliest days of the COVID 19 pandemic. Americas most socially acceptable drug of misuse helped sooth a lot of rattled nerves. But, if one argument for normalizing drugs use stems from the belief that doing so will decease problematic use, we may not want … Continue reading Life, Death, and Recovery, Right Under Our Noses

Forward – I recently learned that Tom Hill was retiring from government work and concentrating on his art, another one of his many talents. My first reaction was a feeling of abandonment. We tend to see some people and the roles that they serve almost as permanent fixtures. Tom Hill has been that kind of … Continue reading Tom Hill – Interview on Recovery Values & Government Service February – 2022