A version of this post was originally published in November 2019. In recent years it's become more and more common to see advocates criticize treatment and mutual aid groups. These critics question the alleged orthodoxy and motives of treatment providers, but they do not engage in criticism of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). It appears that this … Continue reading Seeking more, not less, from MAT

A version of this post was originally published in June 2020. I've been thinking a lot about the convergence of several cultural trends: historically unprecedented access to information;the atomization of media and information sources;the tribalization of media and information sources;scientism as a cultural force that:lacks epistemic humility;is often dismissive of experiential knowledge;is often dismissive of … Continue reading Follow the science . . .

This post was originally published January 1, 2020. I'm not sure why, but I've been missing Roger Ebert recently. I've posted about him a few times before and commented on my appreciation that he was a film lover first and a film critic second. I think it's safe to say that social media has multiplied … Continue reading On advocacy and criticism

It doesn't come up much here, but I am a social worker. Both of my degrees are in social work, I've taught social work for the last 17 years, I've served on NASW's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Section, as well as NASW-Michigan's Legislative and Social Policy Committee and Ethics Committee. This blog focuses on … Continue reading In Praise of Service

As someone who spent 25 years working for a nonprofit providing long-term residential addiction treatment, I'm of two minds about the state of residential treatment in the US. On the one hand, our agency struggled mightily to maintain high-quality, ethical, evidence-based care that kept patients engaged and supported them through the treacherous first 1-2 years … Continue reading Unethical care, shoddy care, and the “poverty industry”

I stumbled on Sober 21 this morning, which describes itself as "a compendium of essays by, and interviews with, sober musicians". The editor's introductory essay describes the project as follows: It’s a free resource for musicians who want to begin the journey, or are new to the path of getting clean and sober from drugs … Continue reading Sober 21

From the recently updated NIAAA fact sheet on alcohol and health: An estimated 95,000 people (approximately 68,000 men and 27,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The first is tobacco, and the second is poor diet and physical inactivity. Of course, there are … Continue reading Legal drugs the #1 and #3 causes of preventable death

Austin posted yesterday about Jon Soske's piece selecting an addiction/recovery element to keep, one to drop, and one to modify. The element Jon chose to modify is "medical mistrust." A couple of sentences exploring this concept really grabbed me. The pandemic made even more visible the intensity of suspicion regarding health institutions and the medical … Continue reading Medical mistrust as a two-way street

I've avoided posting about Carl Hart's new book. Mostly because it seems likely to generate more heat than light and it strikes me as more likely to devolve into a battle in the culture wars rather than a serious science and policy exploration. This morning I decided to listen to an interview with him. Most … Continue reading “That’s some stupid s#!t”