Boston's new mayor is starting to make good on a campaign pledge: Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City of Boston’s addiction and recovery services are about to get an upgrade, taking a major step towards one of the more personal platforms of his campaign for the mayor’s seat. . . . Through a collaboration with the Blue … Continue reading Putting Recovery on the Political Agenda
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.
Addiction and Willpower
Peg O'Connor takes a look at our beliefs about addiction and willpower. I believe there is an implicit formula undergirding this conception of willpower that “inability to resist temptation = addiction.” All parts of the formula—inability, resistance, temptation, and addiction—are worrisome. Regarding inability: It would seem to follow that the further a person moves down … Continue reading Addiction and Willpower
In defense of AA
John Kelly chimes in with a powerful and evidence-based defense of AA, that doesn't just rebut Dodes' arguments, he destroys them. It's too good to pull quotes from, take the time to read the whole thing. Here's a taste: Dr. Dodes begins his criticism of AA and related treatment by citing a 1991 study published in the … Continue reading In defense of AA
Stuck on Methadone
DJ Mac reviews a recent German paper looking into why patients stay on methadone. His review is easily the best post I've read on the complicated relationship between methadone and recovery. Read the whole post. The paper's starting point: The paper outlines that retention in ORT is not great, with just over half of patients … Continue reading Stuck on Methadone
Eating Disorders – from the Dawn Farm Education Series
This program will examine the evidence that eating disorders are true biopsychosocial diseases, similar to chemical dependency. The program will define various eating disorders and their consequences, explore neurobiological and behavioral theories of addiction, describe physiological consequences of eating disorders, discuss screening tools, and provide information on treatment options and resources for people with eating … Continue reading Eating Disorders – from the Dawn Farm Education Series
Driving out of poverty
A new study on the relationship between access to transportation and exiting poverty caught my attention: But a new study co-led by myself; Evelyn Blumenberg from the University of California, Los Angeles; and Casey Dawkins from the University of Maryland suggests there is at least one group that may need help to drive more, not less: low-income … Continue reading Driving out of poverty
Goodbye, Pat
Today we say goodbye to Pat Gibbons. The post I wrote last week was the most viewed post ever on this blog and it was shared on facebook more than 1000 times. Here's the thing. Pat was incredibly generous, compassionate and a pretty amazing vector of hope. Thousands of people are immeasurably better off (great … Continue reading Goodbye, Pat
FDA approves home naloxone
This is good news and could save a lot of lives: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a prescription treatment that can be used by family members or caregivers to treat a person known or suspected to have had an opioid overdose. Evzio (naloxone hydrochloride injection) rapidly delivers a single dose of the … Continue reading FDA approves home naloxone
Only 26% believe we should focus on prosecution
The Atlantic directs us to a new Pew poll about drug policy: The survey asked 1,821 Americans, "In dealing with drug policy, should government focus more on providing treatment for people who use illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine, or do you think it should focus more on prosecuting people who use these types of drugs?" … Continue reading Only 26% believe we should focus on prosecution
Recovery anniversaries unscientific and crazy?
Robert DuPont has something to say in response to the media blitz for Dodes' new book attacking AA. He's more strident than I'd be in defending AA, but he makes some great points. . . . Dodes criticized AA and Narcotics Anonymous' (NA) "tally" system, which recognizes incremental periods of continued sobriety by awarding chips. "The … Continue reading Recovery anniversaries unscientific and crazy?
Recovery Review 