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.

Could ADHD Meds Promote Future Cocaine Use?

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

  Boston University recently posted a series on their own addiction research. One examined whether there is a relationship between taking ADHD meds and future cocaine use.   The results of Kantak’s research could present a dual cautionary tale for adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. “If they’re an adolescent getting a stimulant medication, and they’re properly … Continue reading Could ADHD Meds Promote Future Cocaine Use?

Recovery capital and capital

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 6 Comments

From the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs second report of the recovery committee [emphasis mine]: ...our optimism about recovery should be tempered. Evidence suggests that different groups are more or less likely to achieve recovery outcomes. For some people, with high levels of recovery capital (e.g. good education, secure positive relationships, a job), recovery … Continue reading Recovery capital and capital

Tribes of the recovering community – Calix Society

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 3 Comments

This week's tribe is the Calix Society. Calix is an association of Catholic alcoholics who are maintaining their sobriety through affiliation with and participation in the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our first concern is to interest Catholics with an alcoholic problem in the virtue of total abstinence. Our second stated purpose is to promote the spiritual … Continue reading Tribes of the recovering community – Calix Society

Want to be grateful? Remember to remember.

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 3 Comments

“Choose [your memories] carefully. Memories are all we end up with … You’ll have a thousand pasts and no future.” –The Secret Behind Their Eyes (film) Robert Emmons summarizes research on gratitude and reviews the impact of it at a social level. He closes with thoughts on cultivating it at an individual level. Gratitude, at least … Continue reading Want to be grateful? Remember to remember.

Make a Gratitude Adjustment

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

A good article on the relationship between gratitude and happiness. A psychology professor at the University of Michigan, Peterson regularly gave his students an unusual homework assignment. He asked them to write a "gratitude letter," a kind of belated thank-you note to someone in their lives. Studies show such letters provide long-lasting mood boosts to … Continue reading Make a Gratitude Adjustment

Two more defenses of Suboxone

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

In the Washington Post, Harold Pollack interviewed Peter Friedmann about buprenorphine and the NY Times series on buprenorphine. We're fortunate that that they share their premises. HP: Buprenorphine provides a “substitution therapy” for people with opiate disorders. PF: Correct. For many years, opiate addiction was considered an incurable illness. It was Dole and Nyswander in New York who proposed … Continue reading Two more defenses of Suboxone