Several months ago, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW) posted their Protecting Individuals with Lived Experience in Public Disclosure Guide. They describe it as a tool for self-evaluation allowing individuals and organizations to assess the risks to people publicly sharing addiction and recovery stories. I've seen little attention to this topic, but I welcome … Continue reading Guidelines for publicly sharing addiction recovery stories: protecting, paternalism, or gatekeeping?
Constructive Feedback and thoughts on the SAMHSA Unified Client-Level Performance Reporting Tool (SUPRT)
As posted in the Federal Register in early September, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA is seeking approval for the new SAMHSA Unified Client-level Performance Reporting … Continue reading Constructive Feedback and thoughts on the SAMHSA Unified Client-Level Performance Reporting Tool (SUPRT)
12 step programs don’t help people with opioid addiction? Is that true?
I recently heard this topic from the field, and thought I would add my thoughts here about that question in the form of suggestions. Back in 2020 I posted something similar titled, Addiction Counselors Should Become Familiar with "Recovery". But that was general to all addiction treatment patients, and recovery in general. Here is my … Continue reading 12 step programs don’t help people with opioid addiction? Is that true?
A brain-imaging study of the family members of people with alcohol use disorder
A colleague in the field sent me a 2024 paper titled, “Family Members’ Reward-Based Activation in Response to an AUD Loved-One” published in the journal called Contemporary Family Therapy. The full citation is below. That colleague suggested a blog post be written about this paper. So, this post is both a “topic from the field” … Continue reading A brain-imaging study of the family members of people with alcohol use disorder
Sentences to Ponder: Caroline DuPont, MD
Addiction is a pediatric-onset disorder." Hearing her expound that, the accuracy of the statement became obvious when looking backward from the disease end-point of addiction to the person's initial use. Initial use at or before age 13 she described as a benchmark of risk for development of the full disease.
Overdoses in Decline – Progress on a One-Dimensional Measure
The other day, I saw this media clip, CDC: Opioid overdose deaths decline nationwide from PBS. It notes that according to provisional data, we have the lowest rate of national overdose related deaths in three years. It describes a 10.6% decline in overdose deaths from April 2023 to April 2024. The article frames naloxone as … Continue reading Overdoses in Decline – Progress on a One-Dimensional Measure
the evolving drug tastes of society
Here are a few sentences to ponder, as we process the latest data on the overdose crisis: Most drug epidemics don’t simply disappear: they transform themselves into something else. For example, periods of excessive stimulant use are often followed by periods of rising alcohol, sedative and opiate use. There are drug-facilitated cycles of stimulation, introspection, … Continue reading the evolving drug tastes of society
Standing Up for Recovery: the Example of Mercedes McCambridge
Looking back on the history of American recovery efforts, one can see waves of grassroot groups coming together in distinct movements that rise and dissipate over time. Some rise and collapse quickly and others slowly swell and dissipate as momentum is lost, conditions change and key leaders are lost. Our modern era of recovery advocacy … Continue reading Standing Up for Recovery: the Example of Mercedes McCambridge
Sentences to Ponder (addiction medicine physician)
Several years ago I was at a national conference in our field. It's a very well known conference with thousands in attendance. On one of the mornings in particular, I was 2 minutes early for the 7:00am breakfast in the giant ballroom. One person was there, seated, and just starting to eat breakfast. It was … Continue reading Sentences to Ponder (addiction medicine physician)
As federal government supports recovery, it should encourage expungements of substance use disorder-related arrests and convictions
by guest contributor Mitchell Berger, MPH In recent years, federal agencies have increasingly emphasized supporting those in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), for instance, formed in 2021 an Office of Recovery to “forge partnerships to support all people, families and communities impacted by mental health and/or substance use conditions … Continue reading As federal government supports recovery, it should encourage expungements of substance use disorder-related arrests and convictions
Recovery Review 