Readers! Take heed: The following is not going to be an unabashed endorsement of the Law of Attraction. In fact, one could make the argument that the Law of Attraction is less of a law and more of an imperfect idea; albeit an idea containing some important slivers of truth. Like any religious, spiritual, or…
Evidence based practice is a buzz phrase in the healthcare world, but what does it mean and – more importantly – how does it relate to you as a consumer of addiction treatment and mental healthcare services? According to the Oregon Addiction and Mental Health Division (AMH), evidence based practice is defined as “programs or…
The word ‘God’ is one of the most contentious words in the dictionary; not because there is anything wrong with it, but because people’s varying conceptions of God have been a source of conflict for thousands of years. Since the word God – or “higher power” – is regularly utilized in twelve step programs (and…
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared a “war on drugs” (a term previously used by President Richard Nixon in 1971). From that moment on, the peddlers of illicit drugs were vilified and so, too, were the human beings who used them. In the 1970s and 1980s, the government presumably did not have a thorough understanding…
When someone shares that they have ten, twenty, thirty, or more years of recovery, it’s hard to conceive of such a lengthy amount of time without a drink or a drug. In early recovery, the question of how to get sober can overshadow the question of how to sustain long-term recovery. Unfortunately, this oversight often…
Is Vivitrol as Effective as Buprenorphine? Vivitrol – or extended release Naltrexone – is a non-narcotic medication indicated for the prevention of relapse to opioid use following opioid detoxification. Vivitrol is the only medication assisted treatment on the market that can describe itself as “relapse preventative”. How does it work? Vivitrol is an opioid antagonist,…
On January 9th, 2017, the White House released a “Memorandum to Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies”. The subject of the memorandum was “Changing Federal Terminology Regarding Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders”. Enclosed was a document entitled Changing the Language of Addiction. The memorandum was designed to guide federal agencies in the proper terminology…
Since the inception of the modern liquor store, society has fabricated an inaccurate image of alcoholism. The stereotypical depiction often features a male figure: he wears a trench coat, sports a long, unkempt beard, and lives underneath a bridge. In one hand, he holds a bottle which is not-so-secretly nestled in a brown paper bag.…
Unless you avoid the news, you are probably aware that celebrity designer Kate Spade, and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, both died by suicide in the space of one tragic week. In the days since the respective announcements, the subject of suicide prevention has been trending across social media. “Why,” some people muse, “do people with…
Perusing a selection of Father’s Day cards, it’s easy to identify the stereotypical markers of fatherhood. A father is viewed as a provider, a protector, and a connoisseur of grilling, sports, and yard work. Fatherhood is synonymous with “strength” – as demonstrated by cards depicting bulging muscles and streaming red capes. Is there is anything…