December 3, 2020 A central goal of public recovery self-disclosure is to challenge myths and misconceptions about addiction and recovery through the elements of our personal stories. Recovery advocates must avoid contributing to false narratives by having selective parts of our stories appropriated while ignoring the central recovery message. Addiction/treatment/recovery-related social stigma and its untoward … Continue reading PILLARS OF STIGMA AND RECOVERY STORYTELLING (BILL WHITE, BILL STAUFFER, AND DANIELLE TARINO)
Reasons to be cheerful
Recovery is not only possible, it is common.Eddie et al, 2020 If you are looking for reasons to be cheerful in these testing times, read on. I’ve been taking a look at a piece of research (1), about to be published, from the Recovery Research Institute in Massachusetts, which examined questionnaire responses from over 25,000 … Continue reading Reasons to be cheerful
Marred legacies, saying it nicer, and changing hearts
This clip of Hunter Biden has garnered a lot of attention in recovery advocacy circles. https://twitter.com/katiedjennings/status/1326874513238274049?s=20 I have mixed feelings. Her characterization of him being "in and out of treatment 7, 8 times" frames his relapses as a personal failure in a way she wouldn't frame relapses in other chronic illnesses, even where behavioral strategies … Continue reading Marred legacies, saying it nicer, and changing hearts
I see you Millennial and Zoomer Recovery Advocates!
I have been thinking lately of the generational shifts in the recovery movement and what it means for our collective future. Young people in recovery face an uncertain future. Less opportunity, less optimism about the future and strained social networks have made things been particularly hard for them. They have been devastated by deaths of … Continue reading I see you Millennial and Zoomer Recovery Advocates!
The ten most important things about addiction (part 2)
The conclusion of the two-parter. Part one is here. Professor Selman’s last five essentials: 6. Different therapies appear to produce similar treatment outcomes. Project MATCH, a huge psychotherapy trial showed similar outcomes for the techniques of motivational enhancement therapy, twelve step facilitation and cognitive behavioural therapy. Other trials including British ones have shown the same results. … Continue reading The ten most important things about addiction (part 2)
The ten most important things about addiction (part 1)
This is a version of a blog I published a few years ago, but thought it still relevant today. Doug Sellman is a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine in New Zealand. In 2010 in the journal Addiction, he attempted the difficult task of distilling the ten things you need to know about addiction from the … Continue reading The ten most important things about addiction (part 1)
THE RISKS OF PUBLIC RECOVERY STORYTELLING (BILL WHITE, BILL STAUFFER, AND DANIELLE TARINO)
The first blog in this series explored the value and limitations of recovery storytelling as an anti-stigma strategy. We suggested that public storytelling is best wedded to larger recovery community inclusive strategies that move beyond the goal of changing personal attitudes to the larger goal of dismantling the institutional machinery that perpetuates stigma and discrimination. … Continue reading THE RISKS OF PUBLIC RECOVERY STORYTELLING (BILL WHITE, BILL STAUFFER, AND DANIELLE TARINO)
Thanksgiving 2020 – Reflections of Gratitude from an Inner Eeyore
Reflecting back this morning of some very early lessons in my recovery journey and what I have grown to understand about the power of gratitude. Full disclosure here – I am not inherently a positive person. My inner voice can be quite negative with great frequency and intensity. Negative thinking, lists of things that have … Continue reading Thanksgiving 2020 – Reflections of Gratitude from an Inner Eeyore
harm-free addiction?
I stumbled upon this interesting study that's based on a thought experiment. Researchers asked smokers the following question, "Imagine that a new ’clean’ nicotine product has been developed. This new product is as satisfying to use as smoking cigarettes. It is also as addictive as cigarettes, but it is far less harmful than cigarettes. It … Continue reading harm-free addiction?
Add in mutual aid for better outcomes
The majority of treatment for drug and alcohol problems is outpatient. Trying to achieve abstinence can be tough and some evidence suggests it is more likely to be the goal of clients than the aspiration of professionals for their clients. How well do clients do? This study by Gerald Cochrane and colleagues from New York looked at … Continue reading Add in mutual aid for better outcomes
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