The narrative that the opioid and overdose crisis is a product of despair has become very popular. The logic is that people in bad economic conditions are more likely to turn to opioids to cope with their circumstances, and that their hopeless environmental conditions make them more likely to die of an overdose. This model … Continue reading The opioid crisis as a disease of despair?
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.
Love and Addiction Counseling (Bill White and Jason Schwartz)
[Cross-posted at williamwhitepapers.com] Addiction counseling has become an increasingly professional and pristine affair, and service relationships reflect a more detached process than in years gone by. And yet one worries about the loss of something precious in our current fixation on the technical mastery of evidence-based counseling practices. We would suggest that this endangered precious … Continue reading Love and Addiction Counseling (Bill White and Jason Schwartz)
NY state takes on hustlers
New York state is warning people seeking treatment to beware of treatment fraud. More here.
Another treatment hustle?
A new story suggests that Dr. Phil may be in on the hustle: A STAT/Boston Globe investigation shows how some carefully placed promotions are also a financial opportunity for a new business venture involving the show’s host, Phillip McGraw, and his son, Jay. An addiction recovery program the McGraws launched this year comes with an … Continue reading Another treatment hustle?
Another treatment hustle
What if some big restaurant group (that owns a bunch of chains) surreptitiously bought Yelp and used Yelp to steer diners to their restaurant? That would be a shady hustle, right? Well, it happens all the time in the world of addiction treatment: As the opioid epidemic continues to spiral, more and more people have reason … Continue reading Another treatment hustle
An addiction treatment model that works
A while back, the Huffington Post had a nice piece on a treatment model that delivers outcomes everyone should have access to: The day Dr. Arthur Green (not his real name) checked into his rustic cabin here at Bradford Health Services, he said he doubted he could beat his decadeslong struggle with alcohol and find … Continue reading An addiction treatment model that works
Continuity of Recovery Support Vs. Replication of Abandonment (Bill White and Jason Schwartz)
[Cross-posted at williamwhitepapers.com] Many people enter addiction treatment in the United States with abuse, abandonment, and loss as central thematic threads within their lives. Such experiences distort one’s self-perceptions (e.g., “I am not worthy of love and respect”), diminish one’s capacity to trust (e.g., “Everyone I love will either abuse or abandon me”) and impede … Continue reading Continuity of Recovery Support Vs. Replication of Abandonment (Bill White and Jason Schwartz)
Sentences to ponder
"In the most recent years studied, 2012 to 2015, cocaine overdose deaths were almost as common in black men as prescription opioid deaths in white men and slightly more common in black women than deaths from heroin overdose in white women," Shiels said. Source: CNN Stunning and terrible that this has been so neglected.
Three noteworthy medication assisted treatment (MAT) studies
There have been a few noteworthy medication assisted treatment (MAT) studies published recently. Two studies evaluated the comparative effectiveness of extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol) versus buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone). Anticipation of these studies has been heightened by questions about Vivitrol's effectiveness and marketing. Study 1 The first of these was published in JAMA in October and summarized their … Continue reading Three noteworthy medication assisted treatment (MAT) studies
Google update – How much $$$ are we talking about?
Bloomberg follows up on the recent stories about Google shutting down addiction treatment related AdWords ads (emphasis mine): Google has been actively pursuing profits from the business, despite complaints that it’s a magnet for criminals. There’s an entire sales division in Cambridge, Mass., Google Health Systems, that focuses on medical markets, including addiction treatment. It’s … Continue reading Google update – How much $$$ are we talking about?
Recovery Review 