Yesterday's post and the discussion around it brought up a lot of good questions. Among them was the question, does it really matter whether we call it a disease? It prompted me to look at some old posts. I'll share versions of a few of them in the coming days. A few variations of this … Continue reading Defining addiction and problem ownership
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.
Is it misleading to call addiction a disease?
The New York Times published a guest essay this weekend challenging the disease model of addiction. I've read several similar pieces over the years and frequently have the same experience. I agree with most of the writer's points, but disagree with his conclusions. Let's walk through it. Annual U.S. overdose deaths recently topped 100,000, a record … Continue reading Is it misleading to call addiction a disease?
Top ten of 2021 #7 – What should be the gold standard for addiction treatment?
This was originally published in a 2019 National Association of Social Workers’ Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug specialty section newsletter. The most striking thing about substance abuse treatment is the mismatch between the duration of treatment and the duration of the illness.—Robert DuPont, MD DuPont R. (March, 2018) Interview with Brian Coon. Interview presented at the NC … Continue reading Top ten of 2021 #7 – What should be the gold standard for addiction treatment?
The agony of opioid withdrawal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhpAYw9kCt8 Someone shared this video several weeks ago and it really resonated with me. I've been an addiction professional for 27 years, so I've learned a lot about the effects of opioids and the experience of opioid withdrawal from doctors, counselors, clients, recovering people with a history of opioid addiction, and other experts. However, there's … Continue reading The agony of opioid withdrawal
Follow the science . . .
With the emergence of the omicron variant, I've been watching arguments about which kinds of COVID mitigation strategies make sense and which ones do not. I also just came across this letter about the efficacy (or lack thereof) of esketamine for depression. What do these have in common? The common thread I observe is the … Continue reading Follow the science . . .
Moral Panic? Replace ‘moral’ and ‘panic’ with what?
Sam Quinones' recent Atlantic article about methamphetamines came up recently in a conversation with a couple of friends recently. I hadn't read it, but one of my friends responded that it had elements of moral panic. This response was consistent with comments I had seen on Twitter. My reaction was that moral panic has been … Continue reading Moral Panic? Replace ‘moral’ and ‘panic’ with what?
Recovery, activism, and character
Bill White recently wrote a powerful post about the intersection of recovery, character, and activism. First, on character as an essential element of recovery advocacy: What is the role of character reconstruction in addiction recovery? In recovery activism? I have repeatedly returned to these questions over the course of my adult life, especially as young … Continue reading Recovery, activism, and character
How should we respond to co-occurring addiction and racism? (Guest post by Alexa Johnson)
Alexa Johnson is a friend who is early in her career and reached out for my thoughts on some important questions she had been contemplating. She shared a written reflection on the issues involved and I encouraged her to turn it into a post. I admire her combination of conviction and willingness to keep asking … Continue reading How should we respond to co-occurring addiction and racism? (Guest post by Alexa Johnson)
“full recovery or amplified recovery” — toward typologies of recovery?
A version of this post was originally published in April 2019. Recently proposed definitions of recovery could be characterized as defining it downward (or expanding the boundaries outward). I've expressed concern that these proposed boundaries are so broad that most people who currently self-identify as in recovery will not feel a shared identity with the … Continue reading “full recovery or amplified recovery” — toward typologies of recovery?
What we miss when we focus on opioid treatment and recovery
A version of this post was originally published in September 2019. Fortunately, there's been growing concern that advocates, policymakers, and media have too narrowly focused on the opioid crisis. Up to this point, it hasn't reached the level of media coverage. USA Today is one of the first to publish an article that explores the … Continue reading What we miss when we focus on opioid treatment and recovery
Recovery Review 