Addiction Professionals in the Pandemic – Kristal Reyes

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

A friend shared this video of Kristal. It's so great that I wanted to share it with you and re-up her interview. https://youtu.be/lWVbHjl8JS8 Who are you? That is a loaded question! My name is Kristal Reyes, and I am a person in long-term recovery. I am also a wife, I'm a mother, I'm the Director … Continue reading Addiction Professionals in the Pandemic – Kristal Reyes

The Seed Vault of Recovery History and Our New Recovery Advocacy Movement

~ billstaufferpa

This week, I listened to an excellent interview on The Best Minds Podcast featuring Harvard trained physician and internationally recognized addiction expert Dr Robert DuPont. I was struck by his humble wisdom. He spoke about his early work with methadone patients and how many of them eventually died from alcoholism. He spoke about how narrowly … Continue reading The Seed Vault of Recovery History and Our New Recovery Advocacy Movement

Is it okay to drink if you are in recovery from opiate dependence?

~ Dr David McCartney ~ 3 Comments

In times past, for those with opiate use disorder who were in treatment in therapeutic community settings, as progress was made and days abstinent from opiates grew, a beer might be allowed by staff, say on a Saturday night, in a supervised and supported fashion.  Not in any service I have worked in, but nevertheless true … Continue reading Is it okay to drink if you are in recovery from opiate dependence?

“I was running a heroin treatment program, they died of alcoholism”

~ Jason Schwartz ~ 3 Comments

David's post from yesterday explored some of Robert DuPont's research on programs for addicted physicians. Here's a recent interview with Dupont that explores his experience as a pioneer in methadone treatment, the cultural specificity found in 12 step meetings, the disease model, the "hijacked" brain, physician recovery programs, prevention, and engagement in treatment.

Gold standard addiction treatment

~ Dr David McCartney ~ 6 Comments

Addiction to alcohol or other drugs is not always easy to recover from. However, there are many pathways to recovery, including through treatment. One group of patients does far better than most other groups. In fact, their results are so impressive that many commentators have urged us to learn from what’s different about their treatment … Continue reading Gold standard addiction treatment

Alcohol in the pandemic: the perfect storm

~ Dr David McCartney

Are people drinking more or less in the UK since the pandemic started? The answer is ‘both’. While overall sales of alcohol are down (sales receipts from HMRC show a 2.4% drop Apr-July 2020), it looks like those who were drinking in the most hazardous fashion previously, are now drinking more. The British Medical Journal identifies a … Continue reading Alcohol in the pandemic: the perfect storm