There are 200 deaths a day related to the opiate crisis in the USA. In Scotland we have the highest number of drug-related deaths in Europe, perhaps in the world. A task force set up by the Scottish Government has recommended six interventions to tackle our crisis which we hope will make a difference. I … Continue reading Vaccinating against drug and alcohol deaths
Tag: social contagion
Recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum
In Addiction Today, David Best pulls together 3 themes we've discussed in this blog. What I will do is overview three key component parts of a theoretical model of recovery, then draw them together to derive conclusions about what we should do next to make policy and practice stronger in this area. 1. Recovery capital … Continue reading Recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum
The confines of culture
I recently read a series of great posts that had no direct relationship to addiction or recovery but they got me thinking about the power of culture as a sustaining force in addiction. The series was sparked by a Forbes blogger who wrote a post entitled, If I Were A Poor Black Kid. It inspired … Continue reading The confines of culture
Stick with the winners
Jonah Lehrer reviews recent findings on "social contagion" and obesity: It turns out that the habits of others shape our own, that we unconsciously regress to the dietary norms around us. Because we’re not particularly good at noticing when we’re sated and full – the stomach is a crude sensory organ – we rely on … Continue reading Stick with the winners