When does it stop being a party and start becoming a problem? Is there a way to steer clear of addiction?
Every Wednesday, Mike McGowan explores substance use disorders with expert guests.
Episodes
Undoing Drugs
New York Times best selling author Maia Szalavitz talks about her most recent book, “Undoing Drugs: How Harm Reduction Is Changing the Future of Drugs and Addiction” and the future of drug treatment and policy. Maia’s previous New York Times bestseller, Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction wove together neuroscience and social science with her personal experience of heroin addiction. It won the 2018 media award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and has written for numerous other publications, including TIME, Wired, Elle, the Nation, and Scientific American. Maia’s many works and contact information can be accessed at Maia Szalavitz.
Restorative Justice – Working for Peace
We all want peace in our world. We hope for it. We wish for it. And some of us work for it every day. Jill Sternberg has been working on peace and justice issues, primarily focusing on nonviolent conflict transformation, for more 35 years. She has supported nonviolent movements in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Currently, Jill is a restorative justice coordinator in a New York City high school. She is on the Board of The Restorative Justice Initiative. She came to restorative justice with a deep commitment to ending racism, a major cause of the violence permeating US society and culture. The work of the Initiative and Jill’s contact information can be found at Restorative Justice Initiative.
Losing Everything – Gambling Addiction
When does wagering cross the line from entertainment to problem gambling? Jerry Bauerkemper, a Consultant to the Office of Problem Gambling at the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), discusses the rise in problem gambling across the country. He is responsible for supporting IDPH Problem Gambling Treatment providers serving Iowans experiencing problems due to their gambling as well as providing support to their families. Jerry is a nationally-recognized expert on problem gambling and has provided training throughout the United States. Jerry’s contact information is at Jerry Bauerkemper | Your Life Iowa. Registration information for the conference Jerry will be speaking at can be found at https://www.wi-problemgamblers.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2024-Conference-Brochure.pdf
Turning Tragedy into Hope
When a loved one dies tragically, there are questions, so many questions. Brian and Cindy Hoeflinger’s oldest son Brian died after drinking and driving. Dr. Brian Hoeflinger talks about how he and his family coped with the tragic loss and how they have tried to turn the tragedy into hope. Dr. Hoeflinger is an Ohio-based neurosurgeon whose passion and profession is saving lives. Instead of asking why his son died, Dr. Hoeflinger asks us to consider instead why he lived. The Hoeflinger family, their work, and contact information can be found at https://www.brianmatters.com.
Getting the Message Across
There are many ways to make a difference. Telling a story is perhaps the oldest and most effective way to get the message across. Glen Muse, an accomplished professional filmmaker and video producer/director whose experience includes contributions to productions for PBS, The Discovery Channel, ABC News, and The History Channel, discusses his work with Texas Pictures. Texas Pictures creates socially relevant, award-winning documentaries of substance about important topics in order to increase awareness and make a difference. Their work and Glen’s contact information can be found at https://www.texas-pictures.com/documentaries.html.
Somebody Who Believes in Me
Children who grow up surrounded by trauma are affected differently by their adverse circumstances. Why do some children make it successfully into adulthood while others succumb to substance misuse, homelessness, crime, and mental illness? Dr. Kathryn Daley discusses her work with traumatized youth and the power of developed resiliency. Dr. Daley is a Senior Lecturer in Youth Work and Youth Studies and Theme Leader, Homelessness and Housing Insecurity – Social Equity Research Centre for Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia. She is interested in good, just, and equitable policy and how it impacts those on the margins. Kathryn is an academic with a background as a practitioner. She researches issues to do with disadvantaged youth and is author of the book Youth and Substance Abuse (2017). Her work has examined issues of poverty, child abuse, homelessness, self-injury, and mental health. She and her work can be found at https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-contacts/academic-staff/d/daley-dr-kathryn
Don’t Punish the Pain
Anyone who has experienced chronic pain or has had a serious injury or surgery knows there is a role for pain-killing drugs. We’ve also all heard that those drugs can be dangerous when taken recreationally or incorrectly. Claudia Merandi discusses the important role opioids play in treating patient pain and the campaign to limit or eliminate those necessary drugs. Claudia Merandi is a former court reporter/owner of Merandi Court Reporting and is the founder and Executive Director of The Doctor Patient Forum and Don’t Punish Pain Rally Organization. She is a patient advocate. Claudia and her organization can be reached at https://www.thedoctorpatientforum.com
Resilient, Primed and Purposeful
Alcohol is such an integral part of our culture that deciding to stop drinking carries its own stigma…and benefits! Gabriella Flax talks about her decision to stop drinking and the physical and mental health benefits that being alcohol-free brought. Gabriela is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews and the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is a stress reduction coach whose goal, as she says, is to “help burnt out people become resilient people.” Her contact information can be accessed at https://therppmethod.lpages.
We See You!
Men, young men in particular, make up the largest substance using demographic. Jim Scarpace talks about the baggage that comes with the cultural expectation of excessive use and how to break through the isolation that comes with the disease of Substance Use Disorders. Jim Scarpace is the Chief Clinical Officer at Gateway Foundation, one of the nation’s largest providers of behavioral health services for clients diagnosed with co-occurring mental health disorders. Jim has over 25 years in administration, operations, and the treatment of mental health, substance use disorders, and criminal justice programs. He is also an assistant professor of Clinical Psychology at Benedictine University. Gateway Foundation offers a full continuum of care across a wide range of clinical settings and can be contacted at their 24-hour hotline 855-925-GATE (4283) or at www.gatewayfoundation.org.
Collateral Damage
Have you ever loved someone with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and felt completely alone? As a mother of a daughter with SUD, it’s a question Brandi Mac asks regularly. Brandi talks about what she has experienced and the changes she made in order to start meeting her daughter where she is while in active substance use. Brandi, her blog, her guide, Doing What You Can Live With, her social media, and her contact information can be accessed at https://bio.site/BrandiMac.
