@marybethoconnor.bsky.social
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
This includes a link to a useful guide laying out strategies for families of those struggling with #addiction/substance use disorders. #family #parents
www.thenationalcouncil.org/resources/re...
In early #addiction #recovery, patience and persistence are key. Because you can't fix everything today. It's so important to focus on the right next step, rather than letting frustration dominate your thinking because it's impossible to leap ahead. #recoveryposse
My 31 years of sobriety is without a higher power. I took the approach that today is called a personal recovery plan by LifeRing #Secular Recovery. Although many faith-based or spiritual people also choose more self-empowered approaches to recovery. #recoveryposse #Atheism
“Patienthood” grants individuals legitimacy as recipients of care, without conditions. Stigma and societal narratives of self-blame can cause institutions to approach #addiction treatment as discretionary rather than standard medical care. #opioids #overdose
www.cureus.com/articles/433...
Interesting small study indicating differences in abnormal brain function for those in early #addiction #recovery from heroin v. methamphetamine. This could be relevant to optimal treatment modalities.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41236193/
Good summary of why consumers need to be wary of purported #addiction apps, including the lack of standards or, often, supporting evidence. #recoveryposse #harmreduction
www.rutgers.edu/news/unregul...
When I train and share the alcohol related death rates, people often are surprised. In fact, many are surprised when I emphasize that "alcohol is a drug."
Providing hope is one of my top goals!
People can get very tied to what they were taught by others. Some of which was believed to be correct at the time but we now know isn't true. Some of which was never correct!
In the US, many people can't even get the first month due to a lack of insurance and insufficient cash.
Before I began to speak more broadly in the #addiction recovery space, I read a lot (studies, articles, opinion pieces, books) to make sure I was up to date and not relying just on my experience or what I was taught in the 90s. And I continue to do so. #recoveryposse #Expertise
I say it like this: Recovery is hard in the beginning. Active addiction is hard forever.
Great reason for a hiatus!
Yes! That's the difference between sobriety and recovery.
Glad you made it through! What people need depends on many factors, including the severity of their addiction and whether they have other, co-occurring mental health disorders. So, for me, the need is really for an individualized assessment and access to what they need.
Opioid #addiction meds are effective and reduce drug use and opioid related symptoms, disease transmission, and criminal behavior. And increase treatment retention and employment. #recoveryposs
a.co/d/06IvITvG
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.
