There's a lot of discussion about how to define recovery. Some expand the definition without acknowledging that they are doing it, for the purpose of recovery advocacy. Others more openly advocate to "reclaim" the word and expand the definition to include people who matured out, use moderately or abstain from one previously problematic substance. I've … Continue reading You’re in recovery if . . .
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.
Courageous care
On Being has an interesting personal story in response to the question, "When you think of fearlessness or courage, what person or story or idea comes to mind?" The speaker was diagnosed with cancer and had to see a series of specialists before seeing an oncologist. Along the way she met with a pulmonary technician . … Continue reading Courageous care
The History of Gay People in AA – TBS
From 2008: ====== I'm reading a great book that I wanted to share a little about. I'm only 4 chapters into The History of Gay People in AA but I can't recommend it highly enough for anyone interested in the history of AA or, more specifically, the history of gay people in AA. (Here's the … Continue reading The History of Gay People in AA – TBS
Who’s “we”?
This article has been forwarded to me by several people. Its author has been writing a series of articles that seek to redefine addiction and recovery. As Eve Tushnet recently observed, "There’s another narrative, though, which is emerging at sites like The Fix and Substance.com." This sentence is representative of this alternative narrative: "The addiction field has … Continue reading Who’s “we”?
Do we really want to get each other angry?
Greg Williams says we need to get angry: It is apparently OK for those family members to angrily demand a better response from the federal government to the current health crisis. But when the addiction recovery community — more than 23 million Americans and their families — gathers to walk, speak and put a face … Continue reading Do we really want to get each other angry?
Michigan increases access to naloxone
It's official. The new laws will allow a state resident to obtain a prescription for naloxone, also known by its brand name, Narcan, to immediately reverse the effects of an opiate overdose, whether due to heroin or a prescription drug such as Vicodin or OxyContin. It also requires emergency medical technicians to carry it on … Continue reading Michigan increases access to naloxone
Childhood sexual abuse and alcohol problems – TBS
A new study (This is a TBS post from 2007) looks for a relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and alcoholism. It finds that women who experienced CSA have elevated rates of alcohol use at 12-13 years old, but their rates of alcoholism are not any higher than people with similar adolescent alcohol use, though they … Continue reading Childhood sexual abuse and alcohol problems – TBS
Bias in the evidence base
From The British Psychological Society's Research Digest: In the last few years the social sciences, including psychology, have been taking a good look at themselves. While incidences of fraud hit the headlines, pervasive issues are just as important to address, such as publication bias, the phenomenon where non-significant results never see the light of day … Continue reading Bias in the evidence base
Sublime Recovery vs. Banal Recovery
Eve Tushnet offers a really thought provoking discussion of a dialectic involving competing recovery narratives. First, "sublime" recovery: In this narrative, addiction and recovery are basically spiritual. Forgive me for drastically oversimplifying a novel I’m loving, but in IJ [Infitite Jest] addiction is often an enslavement of the will or an escape from the self. Recovery … Continue reading Sublime Recovery vs. Banal Recovery
Book Review: The Recovering Body
Jennifer Matesa's The Recovering Body: Physical and Spiritual Fitness for Living Clean and Sober seeks to provide "a roadmap to creating our own unique approach to physical recovery" and frames "physical fitness as a living amends to self--a transformative gift analogous to the “spiritual fitness” practices worked on in recovery." She focuses on five areas, … Continue reading Book Review: The Recovering Body
Recovery Review 