A few weeks back, while revisiting a work of William White on countertransference, contempt and service integration, I penned a draft set of laws that appear to operate in respect to recovery movement and recovery transmission efforts intergenerationally in the USA. I titled it “Whites Laws of Recovery Dynamics,” simply because most of what we … Continue reading Considering the Facets of Whites Laws of Recovery Dynamics
Tag: politics
Addiction care system under threat and more vulnerable due to low institutional trust
The last few months have been pretty distressing for those of us who care about people with addiction, their access to treatment, as well as the welfare of their families and communities. There are credible threats to cut Medicaid funding, which is estimated to fund 30-40% of all substance use disorder treatment in the US. … Continue reading Addiction care system under threat and more vulnerable due to low institutional trust
Language, social justice, access to care, symbolic capital, and recovery advocacy
(source: cultural iceberg from lcw) Many times over the years I've expressed frustration with the field's emphasis on language while it's not clear to me that a whole lot of progress has been made in access to recovery-oriented care of adequate quality, intensity, and duration. (See here, here, here, here, and here.) I just finished … Continue reading Language, social justice, access to care, symbolic capital, and recovery advocacy
As federal government supports recovery, it should encourage expungements of substance use disorder-related arrests and convictions
by guest contributor Mitchell Berger, MPH In recent years, federal agencies have increasingly emphasized supporting those in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), for instance, formed in 2021 an Office of Recovery to “forge partnerships to support all people, families and communities impacted by mental health and/or substance use conditions … Continue reading As federal government supports recovery, it should encourage expungements of substance use disorder-related arrests and convictions
Compassionate, or enabling?
Photo by Tania Swan on Pexels.com I've generally avoided reading commentary on addiction and Hunter Biden because there's so much more to his story than addiction. However, a few lines in a printed Washington Post conversation grabbed my attention because it introduced questions about enabling Hunter. Alexi: In some ways, Hunter’s trial gives President Biden … Continue reading Compassionate, or enabling?
If it wasn’t rational, they wouldn’t be doing it
Ugh. The NY Times has another column promoting a rational addiction model. "When they were given an alternative to crack, they made rational economic decisions.” ... When methamphetamine replaced crack as the great drug scourge in the United States, Dr. Hart brought meth addicts into his laboratory for similar experiments — and the results showed … Continue reading If it wasn’t rational, they wouldn’t be doing it
Intellectual conflicts of interest
Allen Frances, Chair of the DSM-IV Task Force lets loose on the DSM-5. He acknowledges the noxious effects of professional interests on research and practice in a way that is rarely seen from leaders of his stature. [emphasis mine] This is the saddest moment in my 45 year career of studying, practicing, and teaching psychiatry. The Board of … Continue reading Intellectual conflicts of interest
Motivational Interviewing works, but no better than other treatments
Cochrane conducts a meta-analysis of motivational interviewing (MI) and concludes that it's no more effective than other treatments. More than 76 million people worldwide have alcohol problems, and another 15 million have drug problems. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a psychological treatment that aims to help people cut down or stop using drugs and alcohol. The … Continue reading Motivational Interviewing works, but no better than other treatments
The truth is dangerous
How hard is it for the DEA to have an honest conversation about drugs? Below is testimony from the director. Note the incoherence. “Is crack worse for a person than marijuana?” Polis asked Leonhart. “I believe all illegal drugs are bad,” Leonhart answered. Polis continued, asking whether methamphetamines and heroin were worse for a person's … Continue reading The truth is dangerous
Marijuana penalty reduction proposals in New York
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed big changes in marijuana policy in his state: "There's a blatant inconsistency. If you possess marijuana privately, it's a violation. If you show it in public, it's a crime," Cuomo said. "It's incongruous. It's inconsistent the way it's been enforced. There have been additional complications in relation to the stop-and-frisk … Continue reading Marijuana penalty reduction proposals in New York
Recovery Review 