This is the first of what I hope to be a regular series of interviews with addiction professionals about their work and how the pandemic has affected it. Who are you? My name is Bill Stauffer, I am a person in long term recovery living in eastern Pennsylvania. I have worked in and around the … Continue reading Addiction Professionals in the Pandemic – Bill Stauffer
Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
(This post was originally published on September 11, 2013) I recently listened to an interview with Nadia Bolz-Weber. There were a lot of keepers in the interview (even for a non-believer). She's described as a recovering drug addict. Her recovery shines through in this, "fake it till you make it" discussion: Ms. Tippett: So a sermon … Continue reading Faith is given in sufficient quantities to communities
Reasons for not receiving substance use treatment
SAMHSA released the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Annual National Report this week. One of the sections that's gotten a lot of attention on Twitter is Substance Use Treatment in the Past Year. The item that seems to have received the most attention is Reasons for Not Receiving Substance Use Treatment. … Continue reading Reasons for not receiving substance use treatment
Meditation on the Serenity Prayer
Action is in italics. What one lacks is held in circles. One asks for what one lacks.
Medical Students and AA
Part of my job is teaching medical students about addiction and recovery, something I enjoy. Like others, I encourage future doctors to attend mutual aid meetings as part of their education. A couple of studies with this theme recently caught my eye. In the first, 138 medical students attended an AA meeting and then wrote … Continue reading Medical Students and AA
REFLECTIONS ON RECOVERY REPRESENTATION (BILL WHITE AND BILL STAUFFER)
Since its inception in the late 1990s, a central goal of the new recovery advocacy movement has been assuring the representation of recovering individuals and families in the decision-making venues that affect their lives. As this movement matured, the complexities of achieving such representation became increasingly apparent. Dynamics within and beyond communities of recovery can … Continue reading REFLECTIONS ON RECOVERY REPRESENTATION (BILL WHITE AND BILL STAUFFER)
The Change Process
Why consider the change process, and what is the application of the ideas I will present? Clinical addiction professionals are trained in sequential change (Stages of Change, 12 Steps, etc.) rather than continuously wholistic, organic and dynamic change processes.Should we always assume and work within a staged approach?Clinical addiction professionals are trained in symptom reduction … Continue reading The Change Process
Moralizing has no place in drug policy?
This piece, entitled "Britain has to overhaul its attitude to drug use – moralising isn't the solution," popped up in my email and more than once in my twitter feed. Various versions of this argument are very common in drug policy circles, and I'd suggest (again) that it's the wrong direction to try to take … Continue reading Moralizing has no place in drug policy?
One of the fun things about science is that it can overturn your prejudices (trying again)
Something went awry with yesterday's post, so I'm reposting and adding a video shared in a comment. This interview with Keith Humphreys is well worth the time, particularly if you don't have first hand experience with 12 step recovery. https://soundcloud.com/stanfordmed/study-aa-best-for-alcohol-abstinence For more info, visit David McCartney's post on the Cochrane Review discussed in this interview. … Continue reading One of the fun things about science is that it can overturn your prejudices (trying again)
One of the fun things about science is that it can overturn your prejudices
This interview with Keith Humphreys is well worth the time, particularly if you don't have first hand experience with 12 step recovery. https://soundcloud.com/stanfordmed/study-aa-best-for-alcohol-abstinence For more info, visit David McCartney's post on the Cochrane Review discussed in this interview.
Recovery Review 