This story of a recent University of Michigan student who died while combining Adderall and alcohol touches upon a recent theme in this blog.Six weeks ago, her son collapsed after snorting ground-up Adderall and chasing it with enough alcohol to stop his heart.Adderall, if you don’t know, is a prescription drug used to combat attention deficit … Continue reading Students shouldn’t have to sacrifice school for recovery, or recovery for school
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.
The power of recovery
The Washington Post recently ran a story about the acting drug czar, who happens to be one of us. The nation’s acting drug czar has a substance-abuse problem. Botticelli, 56, is an alcoholic who has been sober for a quarter-century. He quit drinking after a series of events, including waking up handcuffed to a hospital … Continue reading The power of recovery
Power and responsibility in all the wrong places
Peter Sheath did a guest post a while back at Memoirs of an Addicted Brain that took the treatment field's inventory: Unfortunately many of the people working in treatment do not see any need for self-reflection and continued self-development. They have come to believe that they simply don’t have time. I’ve travelled all across the … Continue reading Power and responsibility in all the wrong places
Home at Last
Getting back to the Throw Back Sunday posts after a little break. This one was originally posted in February 2007. ===================== PBS's series NOW had a segment on a housing first approach with a man named Footie who is chronically homeless and an alcoholic. He's clearly a late stage alcoholic, frequently has seizures and may … Continue reading Home at Last
OD Awareness and both/and approaches
Yesterday was International Overdose Awareness Day. Where do we stand? Last year, the CDC reported on a 5 fold increase in female opioid overdose deaths over a 10 year period. Heroin use may not be as prevelant as the media suggests, but the number of users is up by 53% over 10 years. Overall overdose rates are … Continue reading OD Awareness and both/and approaches
Are “recovery ghettos” really a concern?
Cassie Rodenberg's blog has had a couple of heartbreaking posts recently. They look at the lives of women in the culture of addiction--prostitution, pimp boyfriend, sexual assault, having to provide sex for a place to stay, etc.It brought back Bill White's book, Pathways and his discussion of sex within the culture of addiction. Not only … Continue reading Are “recovery ghettos” really a concern?
CVS is selling Narcan in Rhode Island
Here's an interesting development in access to Narcan:CVS Pharmacy announced that it would offer the opiate antidote Narcan without a prescription at all of its 60 pharmacies in Rhode Island by the end of month.Narcan, also known as naloxone, offers immediate help for anyone overdosing from an opiate such as heroin or a prescription painkiller … Continue reading CVS is selling Narcan in Rhode Island
Young people’s experiences of 12 step groups
DJ Mac highlights a recent study of 302 18-24 year olds entering residential treatment and their opinions of 12 step groups. The study also included follow-up at 3, 6 and 9 months.He pulls a few quotes from the paper and one, in particular, leapt out to me.Clinicians can highlight that 12-step specific content was rarely cited as … Continue reading Young people’s experiences of 12 step groups
contradictory, pointless, bearing very little relationship to reality
On the heels of Robin Williams' death, some writers are sharing their experiences with depression.The theme I find interesting are the themes around sufferer's thoughts and beliefs. Therapists almost universally discuss cognitive distortions. I've been wondering if, in the case of very severe depression, framing these thoughts as distortions fails to capture the power of … Continue reading contradictory, pointless, bearing very little relationship to reality
a beautiful life
Award winning author and editor (Also, a cousin of mine.) Kelley Clink shares an interesting insight about the effects of suicide on those left behind and on the victim's legacy. [emphasis mine] Here's the thing about suicide: it can seep backward and stain an entire life. For years after my brother's suicide, I could only think about him … Continue reading a beautiful life
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