While listening to On Point last week I was struck by an argument on a show that focused on Charles Murray's new book. I have no interest in arguing the merits of his thesis here, but he believes that, for a variety of reasons, America has been dividing by class and he is profoundly concerned about the … Continue reading The limits of empiricism
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.
Even more on the DSM-V
The Fix follows up on the previous piece about the coming changes in the DSM-V. The writer captures my concerns: I don’t foresee any negative results from dropping those two misguided terms. (abuse and dependence) But what does concern me is the fact that rather than still having two separate and distinct conditions—one, a short-term, … Continue reading Even more on the DSM-V
Go Chris Christie!
A few weeks ago I shared some great comments from Chris Christie about the moral imperative to provide treatment to offenders with drug and alcohol problems. This week he called for New Jersey flags to be flown at half mast in honor of Whitney Houston. Not surprisingly, the decision has received some criticism. But Chris Christie is pushing back: … Continue reading Go Chris Christie!
Whitney Houston
What he said. Nice to see someone refrain from using this as an opportunity to advance their preferred narrative.
Ex-addicts staying sober through sport
Awesome. A very cool tribe within the recovering community. More than 4,700 people have participated in Phoenix, which Scott Strode started in 2007. Most join the group because they've struggled with drug or alcohol addiction. "Life should be better once you get sober," said Strode, 38. "(We want to) help people build a new life, … Continue reading Ex-addicts staying sober through sport
A Rabbi’s Teachings on Recovery Find a Wide Audience
The New York Times has a profile of Rabbi Shais Taub, who offers culturally specific recovery support to the Jewish community.
More on the DSM-V
The Fix has a good opinion piece on the DSM-V, praising its movement away from dependence and abuse. The focus on dependence also implied that cocaine—which does not produce physical dependence—isn’t “really” addictive. That lulled many people in the '80s—including yours truly—to think that cocaine wasn’t likely to be hard to kick. We all know better now. … Continue reading More on the DSM-V
Establishing residence in hell
Saving lives is good an important, but something about this feels like building an addition on a house in hell. Naloxone is a medication administered usually by injection which rapidly reverses the effects of opiate-type drugs such as heroin, including the respiratory depression which can cause what are normally referred to as 'overdose' deaths. ... The … Continue reading Establishing residence in hell
At what cost? By what right?
Why I'm drawn to and repelled by Megan McArdle: ...no policy question is ever as simple as "How can we stop X", unless "X" is an imminent Nazi invasion. We also have to ask "at what cost?" and "by what right?" She's so smart, but can frequently appears to be blind to her own bias … Continue reading At what cost? By what right?
Treating depression and substance use: no significant difference from control
Another study finds treatment as usual to be just as effective as specialized CBT: Few integrated substance use and depression treatments have been developed for delivery in outpatient substance abuse treatment settings. To meet the call for more “transportable” interventions, we conducted a pilot study to test a group cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression and … Continue reading Treating depression and substance use: no significant difference from control
Recovery Review 