Recently, a couple of interesting items about autism were posted. One was a NYT podcast, and the other was an opinion piece in STAT. Specifically, the unintended consequences of the movement from a categorical diagnostic model (Autistic Disorder and Asperger's Disorder) to a spectrum model (Autism Spectrum Disorder, aka ASD). https://youtu.be/eSwJmsHGrns?si=osfA8RHxkJ38lf2X In the NY Times … Continue reading How important are conceptual boundaries?
Tag: Mental Health
Nonabstinence in recovery(?) from what?
Several months ago, The Journal of Addiction Medicine published an article on the prevalence of alcohol and other drug use among adults "in recovery." It drew from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and looked at the prevalence of alcohol and other drug use among people who answered yes to the following … Continue reading Nonabstinence in recovery(?) from what?
Gratitude and Addiction Recovery: Validating Experiential Ways of Knowing – William Stauffer
Gratitude is an example of a recovery tool that is grounded in experiential knowledge. A tool used across history in a myriad of mutual support communities. It evolved from indigenous recovery community trial and error practices. That is to say that people in recovery for a very long time have been practicing gratitude as a … Continue reading Gratitude and Addiction Recovery: Validating Experiential Ways of Knowing – William Stauffer
The Coproduction of a Recovery Evidence Base on the Frontiers of Future Recovery Research
Frontiers of Recovery Research Series – William White Interview with Bill Stauffer What an honor it is in my life to do this interview. I think the first time I ever heard the name William White was when I read the book Pathways from the Culture of Addiction to the Culture of Recovery: A … Continue reading The Coproduction of a Recovery Evidence Base on the Frontiers of Future Recovery Research
Rehab in Scotland – what’s going on?
. Scotland, for all its beauty and positives, has an unwelcome first ranking in Europe in the domain of drug deaths. In 2021, the Scottish Government announced the National Mission as a response. A significant financial resource was realised to do this, spread over a variety of interventions. One of these was residential rehabilitation – … Continue reading Rehab in Scotland – what’s going on?
Recovery Management Nestled in a Recovery Grounded System of Care – an Interview with Dr Michael Flaherty
Frontiers of Recovery Research Interview Series – William Stauffer What is this series of interviews? In April of 2024, I had the distinct honor of being asked by William White author and thought leader of the new recovery advocacy movement to present his words as the keynote to open up the first annual NIDA Consortium … Continue reading Recovery Management Nestled in a Recovery Grounded System of Care – an Interview with Dr Michael Flaherty
The Social Model of Recovery: Where the Change Happens
William Stauffer, LSW, PMAC, PECS & Enid Osborne, PhD, MPH, MSW In September, at the 2025 National Association of Recovery Residences Best Practices Summit, held in Sandusky, OH, one of the most notable presentations was that of Dr. Thomasina Borkman. While younger readers may not know her name, they should. She is a pioneering sociologist … Continue reading The Social Model of Recovery: Where the Change Happens
Gatekeeping Out the Recovering Workforce: Repeating History
A generation ago, in the early 1970s, the substance use treatment field was born. What it lacked in evidence base, which is a challenge for any emerging field, it more than made up for in vigor. People in recovery were eager to help others into recovery. Bill White noted pervasive volunteering in the field in … Continue reading Gatekeeping Out the Recovering Workforce: Repeating History
Listening to Echoes of Our Own History
Authors Note: A version of this is currently in Counselor Magazine. I submitted it for consideration in May 2023 and received notice of it being used last week. My credentials have changed since then and there were substantive changes to the work. The citations here are consistent with what was submitted. I am pleased that … Continue reading Listening to Echoes of Our Own History
Protection, Remission, and Recovery
Thomas McLellan and Nora Volkow, two very important figures in modern addiction and treatment science, just published a new article. This strikes me as an important and potentially very consequential article. I'll share a few of the things that grabbed my attention. They describe the impetus for this article as follows: Prescribing MOUD with a … Continue reading Protection, Remission, and Recovery
Recovery Review 