Health care reform is bringing much discussion of the tri-directional integration of addiction treatment, mental health and primary health care. It is time we added to that discussion the need for services that help people in recovery build a life in the community. For that we need to move beyond services that "fix" illnesses to … Continue reading Sentences to ponder
Author: Jason Schwartz
I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work.
Views expressed here are my own.
Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.
The memory disease
Authors Michael W. Clune and Tao Lin discussed their recent books for Believer magazine. Tao Lin points out a theme of seeking to get outside oneself as a response to "internal malfunctioning or uncontrollable-seeming, undesirable behavior." He points to this passage from book, White Out: The only way to recover from the memory disease is … Continue reading The memory disease
Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
I recently listened to an interview with Nadia Bolz-Weber. There were a lot of keepers in the interview (even for a non-believer). She's described as a recovering drug addict. Her recovery shines through in this, "fake it till you make it" discussion: Ms. Tippett: So a sermon of yours I wish I could have heard is … Continue reading Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
Care that never quits
I spent a little more time with Jim Contopulos' video memorial for his son and an interview he did will Bill White. There's a lot to all of this, but a couple of things stuck with me. In the interview, he discussed being a scared parent and seeking to buy recovery: Yes. At the age of … Continue reading Care that never quits
Sentences to ponder
For most research, the impact of the therapist is 'noise in the system' to be eliminated so it can focus on the therapy.--Alcohol and Drug Findings Hmm. "Noise in the system."
Tribes of the recovering community
The Raucous Caucus Recovery Choir: “The idea is not just to help people recover, but also to reintegrate them in family life – so many relationships are distorted due to drug and alcohol abuse – as they change, become sober and move on. And to help the families affected by it. “The choir meets every … Continue reading Tribes of the recovering community
Tribes update (Sober tailgating at the big house)
Last week I shared about the University of Michigan's Students for Recovery and Collegiate Recovery Program. They got out their bright and early to set up tailgating for the big U-M game today. (It's a big deal because it's a very rare night game, which means the tailgate parties will run much longer than usual. There's … Continue reading Tribes update (Sober tailgating at the big house)
Social Anchoring
The author's five actions are not doing much for me, but I love his concept of social anchoring. I've never heard it before. It fits nicely with the conventional wisdom of sticking with the winners. I found one source (though, hardly authoritative) that defines it as "basing your attitudes, actions and values on the position by taken … Continue reading Social Anchoring
3 fold preference for talk-therapy
I swear I don't go looking for this stuff. This post from the British Psychological Society just popped up in my feed reader: A line was crossed in 2005 as anti-depressant medication became the most widely prescribed class of drug in the USA. ... "It is unclear why the shift toward pharmacologic and away from … Continue reading 3 fold preference for talk-therapy
Why is talk therapy going out of favor?
A special issue of Clinical Psychology Review examines the decline of talk therapies: Psychotherapy has issues. Evidence shows that some psychosocial treatments work well for common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression and that consumers often prefer them to medication. Yet the use of psychotherapy is on a clear decline in the United States. In a set of research review … Continue reading Why is talk therapy going out of favor?
Recovery Review 