(source) From a 1995 study: As recently as 1988, researchers in New York City suggested the adoption of crack smoking, in lieu of intravenous cocaine use, as a mechanism of AIDS risk reduction (Des Jarlais and Friedman, 1988). However, recent studies indicate that when compared with intravenous drug users, crack smokers may be at equal … Continue reading Experience is the best teacher. What’s the lesson?
Sentences to Ponder (1940)
Consider these sentences from a journal article published in 1940: Etiology of alcohol addiction. It has been generally recognized for many years that alcoholics do not form a homogeneous population but are heterogeneous relative to etiology, reaction, and course of disease. Definite criteria and relevant classification are therefore essential for the discussion of the phenomenology … Continue reading Sentences to Ponder (1940)
The Recovery Alliance Initiative: History, Methods, and Purpose
In the summer of 2022 I wrote a 6-part series describing the Recovery Alliance Initiative (RAI). A full monograph of that material is at the bottom of this post. The Alliance, as we call it, is a set of principles and practices that identifies and involves various sectors in the community that serve or touch … Continue reading The Recovery Alliance Initiative: History, Methods, and Purpose
John McKnight: A Voice for Vital Community – November 22, 1931 – November 2, 2024
“The associational world is the vital center of citizen production that is the foundation of our democracy — powered by trust.” – John L. McKnight I never met John McKnight, but in recent years I read two of his books after running across a reference to him in the writings of William White, I believe … Continue reading John McKnight: A Voice for Vital Community – November 22, 1931 – November 2, 2024
Screening and Assessment of Substance Use Disorders
Below is a PDF of a monograph I've completed on the topic of screening and assessment of SUDs. Other than individual and group counseling, it's hard for me to think of a task more central to the work of addiction counseling than screening and assessment. And in today's world, with the pace of change concerning … Continue reading Screening and Assessment of Substance Use Disorders
A War on Recovery?
STAT just ran another article in its "War on Recovery" series and continues its narrative of casting recovering people in Narcotics Anonymous and non-agonist recovery pathways as the villains. There's an important story undergirding this article (and the previous article attacking recovering people in NA) -- that there are important gaps in social support for … Continue reading A War on Recovery?
The Hollow Villain: How Stigma Distracts Us from Action
In the world of addiction, “stigma” often gets cast as the ultimate villain—the big bad wolf of public health narratives. It’s the term we throw around when we talk about shame, isolation, and the barriers people face when seeking treatment. The problem with the term stigma is that it's broad and elusive, seeming to apply … Continue reading The Hollow Villain: How Stigma Distracts Us from Action
Societal Hikikomori and the Importance of Bridging Community Capital
“I know of a place, where you never get harmed. A magical place, with magical charms. Indoors! Indoors! Indoors!” —SpongeBob SquarePants Physical isolation is increasingly becoming a common way that people cope with challenges in our society. Hikikomori is a Japanese term that describes a condition where a person, typically a young adult is socially … Continue reading Societal Hikikomori and the Importance of Bridging Community Capital
Clinical Supervision of Clinical Supervision
Disclaimer: Nothing in this document should be taken or held as clinical instruction, clinical supervision, or advisory concerning patient care. Below is the full text of a monograph on the clinical supervision of clinical supervision. The work includes material addressing: Four particular stories from my career that apply to the importance of the topic A model … Continue reading Clinical Supervision of Clinical Supervision
Depth Psychology Applied to Addiction Counseling
Disclaimer: Nothing in this document should be taken or held as clinical instruction, clinical supervision, or advisory concerning patient care. Below is the full text of a 98 page monograph I have written on depth psychology applied to addiction counseling. My plan is to eventually re-write the main content in the form of a simple … Continue reading Depth Psychology Applied to Addiction Counseling
Recovery Review 