I remember getting sober and learning about the Sober Riders and Fifth Chapter. This recovery stuff was a whole new world, and I never imagined there'd be tribes like them. There are sober MCs (motorcycle clubs) all over the country. Our local Sober Riders describe the MC this way: The Sober Riders is a fellowship … Continue reading Tribes of the recovering community
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.
Finding Not-God-ness
After Party Chat posts a letter written by Joshua Leonard to his brother who was still active in his addiction. Joshua reflects on his struggle with surrender: I spent years (well into my early recovery) painting elaborate stories in my brain about why “I was right.” I would have hours of conversations with people inside … Continue reading Finding Not-God-ness
Binge drinking and rape
Slate has a point/counterpoint on the issue of alcohol and rape on college campuses that has gotten a lot of attention. Emily Yoffe, while placing blame on the rapists, points to binge drinking as an important risk factor for being raped. I don’t believe any of these statistics will move in the right direction until … Continue reading Binge drinking and rape
Two Lives Lost to Heroin
From LIFE magazine: In February 1965, LIFE magazine published an extraordinary photo essay on two heroin addicts, John and Karen, in New York City. Photographed by Bill Eppridge, the photographs — and the accompanying article, reported and written by LIFE associate editor James Mills — were part of a two-part series on narcotics in the United States. A sensitive, … Continue reading Two Lives Lost to Heroin
Mother’s little helper
Ann Dowsett Johnston says that alcohol is the new mother's little helper: But those Mad Men years took their toll. My mother wasn’t the only one self-medicating with a combination of alcohol and a benzodiazepine called Valium. By the end of the sixties, two-thirds of the users of psychoactive drugs—Valium, Librium—were women. In fact, between … Continue reading Mother’s little helper
Voices of Recovery
Vermont Public Radio highlights, The Hungry Heart, a documentary on addiction and recovery in Vermont. The audio clips are really great.
Addiction and quality of life
David Best recently wrote a piece on addiction and quality of life. On the role of community in recovery: At the heart of the recovery movement is a shift of emphasis away from “treatment” as a model reliant on professionally delivered interventions. Rather, the movement sees the recovery journey an intrinsically social process and … Continue reading Addiction and quality of life
Tribes of the recovering community
Yoga of 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) thinks of itself as an adjunct to 12 step recovery. Founded in 2012, The Y12SR Foundation is a program of Off the Mat, Into the World® (OTM). Our mission is to empower the lives of individuals and families affected by substance and behavioral addictions with relapse prevention practices that enhance … Continue reading Tribes of the recovering community
No, Oreos are not as addictive as cocaine
Thank you, Stephanie Pappas from LiveScience! "The study performed cannot determine whether Oreos are as addictive as cocaine," said Edythe London, a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, who uses brain imaging to study the neural basis of drug cravings. "That question is best addressed in a comparison of how hard a rat will … Continue reading No, Oreos are not as addictive as cocaine
a relentless focus on high expectations
Roland Fryer recently published a report on the lessons that can be drawn from NYC charter schools. He found 5 practices that were associated with effective schools: ...five practices—more human capital or teacher feedback, data-driven instruction, high-dosage tutoring, increased time on task, and a relentless focus on high academic expectations—were consistently found in higher- achieving schools. Together, … Continue reading a relentless focus on high expectations
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