Summary In another post in this series, I'll highlight Bill’s paper on the concept of the “recovery carrier”. For me, if I’m asked to single out one paper above all his others that I would have someone read first – as being most critical, brief, and easy to read – that would be the one. … Continue reading Revisiting the Work of William White. “The Rhetoric of Recovery Advocacy”: An Essay On the Power of Language
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What does SAMHSA do?
What does SAMHSA do, and should I care if their staff are fired in significant numbers? It's my impression that most probationary SAMHSA employees have been fired. Terminations started there because terminating probationary employees is easy procedurally. Permanent employees require a process to justify Reductions in Force (RIF) to move ahead with termination. Some people … Continue reading What does SAMHSA do?
Abolish SAMHSA? On advocacy and criticism
I've seen this article shared several times recently. Here's the premise: The incoming Trump administration wants to improve public safety, push back on progressive cultural politics, and cut wasteful federal spending. One way to do all three? Abolish the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the federal mental-health agency. Trump Should Abolish the Federal … Continue reading Abolish SAMHSA? On advocacy and criticism
Recovery Capitalists and the Industries of Dependency
We are at the 25th anniversary of the new recovery advocacy movement in America. A movement to elevate and expand recovery opportunities nationally. It began as a grassroot community vision that rose up across the county. It envisioned a more cohesive treatment and community-based recovery model. A system to expand beyond the acute and fragmented … Continue reading Recovery Capitalists and the Industries of Dependency
Eliminating Barriers for Black Mothers With Substance Use Disorder
Between 2010 and 2017, the U.S. saw a 131% increase in maternal opioid use disorder at delivery. There also was an 83% rise in cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome due to prenatal opioid exposure. Additionally, between 2016 and 2020, there was a 3.6% increase in prenatal substance exposure, including alcohol, with significant variation across states. The rising rates of … Continue reading Eliminating Barriers for Black Mothers With Substance Use Disorder
Proposing Two First-Rank Symptoms of Alcoholism
Jason Schwartz recently posted about the 11 DSM-5 criteria for SUD (APA, 2013). In doing so he discussed the: category of Substance Use Disorder in the DSM-5 as being too broad to be useful; ballooning of epidemiological data concerning the incidence and prevalence of addiction based on category errors in context of the DSM-5 SUD … Continue reading Proposing Two First-Rank Symptoms of Alcoholism
Substance use disorder sets off a cascade of category errors
A recent letter to JAMA analyzes the National Survey of Drug Use and Health regarding the need for treatment: Among 657 583 participants, the prevalence of individuals needing SUD treatment increased from 8.2% in 2013 to 17.1% in 2023. AUD increased from 6.6% to 10.2%, while DUD increased from 2.6% to 9.6%. OUD more than doubled … Continue reading Substance use disorder sets off a cascade of category errors
Low Expectations Yield Low Rates of Recovery from Addiction
The primary limitation in life is our low expectations for ourselves and others. When we expect minimum results, that's usually what we get.” - John C. Maxwell How are we measuring our war against addiction in the United States? We have one single metric in the arena of public discourse on our progress. The increase … Continue reading Low Expectations Yield Low Rates of Recovery from Addiction
Who calls themselves a “former alumni” and what exactly does that mean?
If someone graduates from an academic degree program then that person is an alumnus of that institution, by definition. And of course, by definition, the status of being an alumnus is permanent. But concerning an addiction treatment program, some people might claim they are no longer an alumnus. At some point in the future they … Continue reading Who calls themselves a “former alumni” and what exactly does that mean?
Drugs and alcohol in the NY Times
The NY Times had a couple of pieces on alcohol and drug problems this week. (credit: Jonas Bengtsson) First, an audio story about a Maine doctor operating a MOUD clinic in a county jail. Her commitment and advocacy are admirable. There are a couple of striking things to the story. First, she makes a case for … Continue reading Drugs and alcohol in the NY Times
Recovery Review 