@marybethoconnor
From Junkie to Judge memoir. Teenage meth addict and multiple trauma survivor, to secular recovery, to federal judge. I speak and write about a variety of substance use, harm reduction, and recovery topics. junkietojudge.com
Addiction Specialist, Dr. James Craig: Treatment facilities too often return patients to their communities well before they have control over their #addiction []. It can take a year or more to return the brain’s chemistry to a normal baseline, yet these programs typically last a month. #sobriety
If you haven't already, you might take a look at PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome)
Not everyone agrees with anything! 😊 For me, I think he hit on something fundamental for many of us. But goes too far when he says that trauma is the reason for addiction for everyone.
After years of hard work, I consider myself 95% recovered from my extensive and varied #Trauma history. Probably that's as recovered as I'll get. Not perfect, but a vast improvement. #mentalhealth #PTSD
Iceland found that dancing, music, painting, or sports trigger biochemical reactions in the brain similar to mood altering substances but without the harmful effects. By offering youth free programs for such activities, the rate of substance use plummeted within 20 years. #teens
And so very expensive. Even if we only cared about tax dollar expenditures, early intervention is cheaper.
The brains of those with an #addiction, when infused with drugs, "will briefly experience itself as liberated from the burden of the past and the fear of the future-the two elements that make the present intolerable." Dr Gabor Mate
#recoveryposse #wedorecover
Early #mentalhealth treatment for #teens is critical, including because an Adverse Childhood Experiences score of 4 increases the odds of developing an #addiction to alcohol or other drugs by a factor of 4 to 7.
www.cdc.gov/aces/about/i...
Neurobehavioral models describe craving as the motivational drive in #addiction, often triggered by memories of past reward and intensified by negative emotional states such as depression, #anxiety, or trauma. #RecoveryPosse
The key definition of addiction is continued use despite notable negative consequences!
And often have to address underlying trauma and/or co-occurring mental health disorders.
Exactly! We treat a chronic condition as an acute condition. And we don't offer evidence-based treatment of an appropriate length, that also addresses co-occurring mental health disorders, to many people who are struggling.
Community factors that can create childhood trauma include #poverty, discrimination, and social injustice, with such trauma increasing rates of #addiction and other mental health disorders. #recoveryposse
#Alcohol causes 4% of all cancers, but reducing or quitting alcohol does reduce that risk. International Agency for Research on #Cancer #harmreduction
I don't care if people pick the #addiction support groups with which I'm affiliated (LifeRing #Secular Recovery and She Recovers). I only care that they know they have choices. So they can find the best fit and thus increase their odds of success. #recoverposse
Thank you so much for your book, it was excellent. I feel motivated to stay sober, keep working, and like you look into #Law school in about 5 years! - Goodreads Reviewer Meg #quitlit #booktok
a.co/d/icO6dlx
For many of us, it gets easier with time. That's good news! That with practice and repetition, choosing sobriety becomes a way of life that doesn't require hyper-focused attention.
And noticing what makes you feel as if you need a drink, or any other drug, is information. What's going on? How can this be better addressed?
Good work!
Yes. And any addiction treatment program that doesn't do this, should be avoided.
Self-empowered recovery works! "Research shows that believing you are capable of self-control can help you succeed . . . After all, if you don’t think you can control yourself then why would you make any efforts to do so?” Dr. Ethan Kross, University of Michigan #Empowerment #RecoveryPosse
#addiction #sobriety #RecoveryPosse
I don't have any moral qualms about adults using drugs recreationally. I just want them to know the true risks (not the exaggerated or minimized risks) so they can make informed choices. And I want treatment on demand for those who develop an #addiction. #AddictionRecovery #harmreduction
Good work!
She Recovers co-founder Dawn Nickel phrases it as: The shit you did is just the shit you did – it’s not who you are.
Good work!
Good work!
Thanks! I don't think this can be over-emphasized. It's key for so many of us. Including me.
Good summary of some of the obstacles 12-step members face in regard to meds for opioid #addiction and how to counter that problem. #harmreduction #opioids
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...