I've been listening to a BBC podcast on my way to work this last couple of weeks which I've really enjoyed. Called Hooked, it’s about 'all things addiction and recovery' and is frank, funny, well-informed, upsetting, entertaining, resonant, authentic and powerful. Melissa and Jade share their lived experience but also interview experts and others who … Continue reading Hooked: The Unexpected Addicts
Category: Advocacy
PEOPLE IN the recovery community ARE THE EXPERTS on recovery community
"Strengthening recovery community is a critical element in the revival of American community. Recovering people become engaged citizens which benefits all society. As Bill White, Pat Taylor and Carol McDaid note in there 2010 paper Recovery and Citizenship, we become involved in volunteerism, with our own families and reconnect with meaningful activities as citizens. Citizenship is central to the recovery identity."
Houston, we have a problem – narrowly focused care is not the bridge to recovery we need
Reflecting on articles on addiction and recovery that has come my way over the last week. Some encouraging, some more than a bit worrisome. In this post, I will try to weave them together in the context of long-term recovery. History shows us that framing addiction in narrow, single drug strategies sets us up time … Continue reading Houston, we have a problem – narrowly focused care is not the bridge to recovery we need
…let us work together
The last couple of days' posts, a recent conversation and some recent news (I'll let you guess which story.) reminded me of this post. It's from a couple of years ago and has a couple of minor updates. "If you have come here to help me, then you are wasting your time… But if … Continue reading …let us work together
Bill White on “Symbolic Firsts”
Bill White had a very interesting post a while back on the concept of "symbolic firsts" and how it relates to recovery advocacy and recovery initiation. The concept is based on the idea that: . . . the pioneering achievement of a single individual from a historically marginalized group affects the self-identity, aspirations, and performance … Continue reading Bill White on “Symbolic Firsts”
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
Anti-treatment zombie stats
This 90% statistic has been frequently cited to discredit specialty addiction treatment. Ninety percent of those who enter addiction-treatment programs in the U.S. don’t receive evidence-based treatment I asked David Scheff about it several weeks back. He said it was from RAND and referred me to his book. I looked in his book and couldn't … Continue reading Anti-treatment zombie stats
Waiting for Breaking Good?
Bill White shares his perspective on what the media misses in coverage of drug and alcohol problems. 3. The media mistakenly conflate recovery with active addiction and addiction treatment with addiction recovery. 4. Media outlets portray addiction recovery as an exception to the rule. 5. Media coverage of drug-related celebrity mayhem … Continue reading Waiting for Breaking Good?
Sober fun on St. Patty’s day
I teach at a local university and some years I teach on Saint Patrick's day. It's bad. Green beer starts flowing early, there are very drunk people wandering around all day, people passed out on the sidewalk, etc. Worst of all, it's the default thing to do if you're a young college student on St. … Continue reading Sober fun on St. Patty’s day
Hope, empowerment, capability, connection and purpose
Hopeworks Community recently listed his core beliefs related to his recovery from mental illness: The idea was simple. There are a few core beliefs about recovery that make a difference. To the extent you are able to live them your recovery will be positively impacted. My list of core beliefs was simple: Life can get better. … Continue reading Hope, empowerment, capability, connection and purpose
