From ProPublica: In 2004, Purdue Pharma was facing a threat to sales of its blockbuster opioid painkiller OxyContin, which were approaching $2 billion a year. With abuse of the drug on the rise, prosecutors were bringing criminal charges against some doctors for prescribing massive amounts of OxyContin.That October, an essay ran across the top of … Continue reading Purdue Pharma fingerprints all over NYT column questioning relationship between Rx opioids and crisis

In recent years it's become more and more common to see advocates criticize treatment and mutual aid groups. These critics question the alleged orthodoxy and motives of treatment providers, but they do not engage in criticism of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). It appears that this would be perceived as punching down, despite the fact that it's … Continue reading Seeking more, not less, from MAT

After another week of juggling the rigors of a PhD program, writing and analyzing research, and participating in my fair share of Twitter debates, I am often too jaded or too tired to put together coherent thoughts on the direction of recovery. However, this week was somewhat different. I came across a practical post by … Continue reading Response to Mutual Aid

There are a lot of problems in addiction treatment, but 12 step hegemony is not the problem that advocates and media coverage would lead one to believe. (Keep in mind that 12 step facilitation is an evidence-based treatment.) National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS): 2018 It's worth asking why this is so frequently … Continue reading 12 step facilitation used always or often in 45% of facilities

Earlier today Dr. David McCartney posted a piece on Smoking and Recovery  His comments are encouraging. I thought I would add a little more. The free-standing residential addiction treatment program where I currently serve made the switch to tobacco-free in early 2013.  This article was written a year later and covers lessons learned. It discusses our conceptual and … Continue reading Smoking and Recovery: A little more

Smoking and other addictions go hand in hand. In treatment populations, it’s usual to find that about 80-90% of clients are current smokers, compared to, for example, 16% of the Scottish population and 14% of US citizens. Out of interest 25% of German adults smoke, 27% do in France and, incredibly, half of all Chinese … Continue reading Smoking and Recovery

Last Fall, I had the opportunity to spend time with David Mactas, he was the first Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and was instrumental in establishing the funding for recovery community organizations nationwide through the Recovery Community Service Provider – State Network (RCSP-SN) grants from SAMHSA.  I was talking with him about … Continue reading Social Movements end – so how will the “new recovery advocacy movement” end?

Quetiapine (branded as Seroquel in the US) is an antipsychotic drug used for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It’s also prescribed off-license in the UK for anxiety. That means that some people with substance use disorders who don’t have a major mental health diagnosis end up on it. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence … Continue reading Quetiapine Abuse

https://twitter.com/brandonbphd/status/1193391176822534147