Category: addiction
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Understanding Addiction: The Disease vs Connection Debate
Is addiction a disease, or, is it, as Johann Hari asserts, a lack of connection? Johann Hari is an award-winning journalist and writer. From his own bio, his education is that “He studied Social and Political Science at King’s College, Cambridge, and graduated with a Double First.” Admirable, but does that make him an expert…
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How the Let Them Theory Helps in Addiction Recovery
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is all the rage these days, and I jumped on the bandwagon. It’s a book that would have been a great article, but it provides two solid takeaways when it comes to the field of addiction: “People only change when they feel like changing.” “People need to feel…
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The Ubiquity of Alcohol in American Society
We drink a lot of alcohol in the US, but not everyone drinks it. In fact, 35% of those of legal drinking age consider themselves abstainers (Gallup). Statistically, that means that more than three people in every ten we encounter don’t drink alcohol. So why are messages of drinking so ubiquitous? How did the alcohol…
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Finding Lagom: A Guide to Healthier Choices for Youth
I recently became acquainted with the concept of “lagom,” which, best as I know, is a Swedish word that translates to “just the right amount,” or “not too much, not too little.” You know when, usually at the beginning of the year, we’re supposed to identify our word…as in the word that is going to…
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The Crossroads of Addiction: Perceptions and Policies
Pete Hegseth, said in an interview with Megyn Kelley, “I’ve never had a drinking problem. No one’s ever approached me and said, ‘Oh, you should really look at getting help for drinking.’ Never. I’ve never sought counseling, never sought help. I respect and appreciate people who do.” He went on to say, “My plan going…
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Understanding Addiction: Insights from Dr. DuPont
Robert DuPont, MD, was the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, appointed in 1973, and he spent his career addressing substance use disorders. I first became acquainted with him while watching The Anonymous People, a feature documentary film produced in 2013 about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol…
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Make 2025 Alcohol-Free: A Healthier New Year
It’s the day before January 1…New Year’s Eve Day, as it were…and people are making plans to ring in 2025 as well as resolutions to make 2025 the best year yet. Me? I’m typing in my pajamas with no intention of leaving the house. One of the resolutions that pops up in the top 10…
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The Role of Shame in Addiction Recovery
We know that feeling stigmatized – shamed, if you will – may reduce the willingness of those with substance use disorders (SUDs) to seek treatment. We also know that stigmatizing (shaming) language may negatively influence health care providers’ perceptions of people with SUDs, thereby negatively impacting care (pmc). We KNOW this. So our response, far…
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The Dangers of Ignoring Addiction Facts
If you’re looking for me, I’m over here banging my head on my desk. Why, you ask? I’m happy to explain! In the last week I’ve been discouraged at every turn where it comes to my expertise around substance use disorders. First, a person who may or may not have been pregnant was drinking wine.…
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Mandatory Reporting in Healthcare: The Prenatal Dilemma
Imagine that you’re a person working in the healthcare profession…perhaps a nurse or a doctor. And think about what caused you to go to school for all those extra years. Was it the desire to have lots of student debt? Maybe it was working all those hours, especially on weekends and holidays… Or perhaps it…
Guided by Guida 