The Addiction Psychologist
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© Samuel Acuff and Noah Emery
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Drs. Noah Emery and Samuel Acuff interview researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in the field of addiction psychology with the hopes of enhancing recovery. Official podcast of the Society for Addiction Psychology.
52 Episodes
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On this new Addiction Psychologist segment, we talk to experts about new policy developments to get a better understanding of the implications for our work, our clients, and our personal lives. On this episode, we talk with Dr. Adam Leventhal about the October 12, 2021 announcement that the FDA has authorized the marketing of three new tobacco products, marking the first set of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products ever to be authorized by the FDA through the Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) pathway. Dr. Adam Leventhal is a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Psychology in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and a member of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee for the Food and Drug Administration.
You can read the full FDA press release here. In the days after the recording of this episode, the FDA made a similar announcement authorizing several oral tobacco products, suggesting that authorizations may occur at a rapid pace in the coming weeks.
1People attempting recovery from addiction are best served when recovery can be achieved through multiple, diverse, pathways that fit their needs and recovery goals. Although the most commonly used recovery support service is Alcoholics Anonymous (or a similar Anonymous affiliated group), some object to core tenets or cultural elements and may benefit from alternative options. SMART Recovery is one example of an alternative mutual help group that was created to meet the needs of those who may benefit from a different pathway to recovery. In this episode, Dr. Horvath discusses the history, core tenets, structure, and evidence base for SMART Recovery. Dr. Horvath is a licensed clinical psychologist and President of Practical Recovery. Dr. Horvath was a founding board member and served as the president of SMART Recovery for 20 years. He has facilitated approximately 1000 SMART meetings and has supported San Diego to become the locality with the greatest concentration of SMART meetings at approximately 40. Dr. Horvath is also a past president of Div 50 (1999-2000).
In the past few years, a novel adulterant, Xylazine, has emerged in the illicit opioid drug supply. Between 2020 and 2021, there was a more than 1000% increase in xylazine-positive overdose mortalities in the United States from 2020 to 2021. What is Xylazine? How does it work? Why has it emerged in the supply? Dr. Cassandra Gipson-Reichardt discusses emerging literature on Xylazine and answers our questions on this episode of the Addiction Psychologist podcast. Dr. Gipson is an associate professor in the department of pharmacology and nutritional sciences at the University of Kentucky.
In general, most people have some degree of ambivalence towards behavior change. Whether reducing television in the evenings, eating less chocolate, or deciding to limit or abstain from alcohol, most people can identify reasons they would prefer to maintain the status quo and reasons to make a change. How can one move from ambivalence to action? Dr. Bill Miller discusses the origins and key tenets of Motivational Interviewing, an approach grounded in Humanistic psychology to help create a safe space for people to explore their ambivalence and consider change. Dr. Bill Miller is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at The University of New Mexico.
Chronic pain commonly co-occurs with substance use disorder and may get in the way of recovery goals and valued living. Despite this, chronic pain can go untreated and unmanaged in treatment settings, and many people with substance use disorders struggle to get treatment for pain due to addiction stigma. Dr. Jeff Boissoneault provides an overview of the intersection between pain and substance use and makes the case for why scientists and clinicians should prioritize measuring and treating chronic pain. Dr. Boissoneault is an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Epidemiological surveys suggest that prevalence of harmful patterns of substance use is greatest among Multiracial populations relative to other racial demographic groups. Yet, most studies either do not report full racial demographics or under-sample people who identify as multiracial. In this episode, Tessa Nalven illuminates the importance of studying multiracial populations, discusses theoretical mechanisms for disparities, and provides recommendations for research with multiracial populations. Tessa Nalven is a currently finishing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the University of Rhode Island. She is completing her clinical internship year at the Boston VA. Tessa was the recipient of the 2022 Division 50 DEI Student Recognition Award.
In recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in methamphetamine use among people who use opioids. What is driving this effect? How do these drugs interact? Do they serve substitute or complementary functions? Dr. Justin Strickland summarizes the state of the science and outlines potential solutions. Dr. Strickland is a psychologist and assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. You can learn more about his work here.
During the past several decades, the United States has experienced several distinct waves of opioid epidemic, prompting those providing services to think of novel ways to provide services. to those in need. Dr. Rachel Winograd found her passion for community-based harm reduction services in St. Louis, a city ravaged by wave after wave of the opioid epidemic, and quickly found her place within a network of harm reductionists, community-based providers, and policy makers in Missouri with a common goal. In this episode, Dr. Winograd teaches us about the opioid epidemic and shares about the work she and her team has done to test and disseminate evidence-based harm reduction services in the greater St. Louis area. Dr. Winograd is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri-St Louis. To learn more, please visit www.mimhaddisci.org.
For many, the onset of substance use occurs in adolescence. A subset of adolescents who use substances develop substance use disorders later in life, and some even develop harmful patterns of drinking while still in the developmental stage of adolescence. Why is substance use initiation likely in this age group, and what is the developmental function of substance use behavior? What are the interpersonal processes that influence substance use, and how do relationships with friends and family change during this critical developmental stage? Is it possible to leverage these interpersonal processes to bolster treatment initiation and success? Dr. Sam Meisel answers these questions and more as he discusses the complex social environment of the adolescent and it's pertinence to understanding substance use. Dr. Sam Meisel is a Research Scientist at Bradley Hospital and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies in the Brown University School of Public Health.
Dr. Bill Stoops provides an overview of the pharmacology, effects, and prevalence of cocaine, in addition to treatments for cocaine use disorder. Dr. Bill Stoops is an Associate Director for Clinical Science in the Substance Use Priority Research Area, and a Professor in the Departments of Behavioral Science, Psychiatry, and Psychology, and in the Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, at the University of Kentucky.
Alcohol and other drugs are sometimes accompanied by harms from use. However, use only accounts for some of the variance in substance use harms, and their are strategies, and harms can be reduced through other means aside from reductions in substance use. This is particularly important because many who use substances do not have a desire to quit or cut down on their use, even if they do experience harms. In this episode, Dr. Mark Prince discusses the literature on protective behavioral strategies, or any behavioral strategy that may reduce the harm of substance use, often through reduction of risky behaviors while using (i.e., drinking and driving) or through changes in the way the substance is consumed (i.e., drinking water in between alcoholic drinks). Dr. Prince is an Associate Professor and the Associate Director of Addiction Counseling in the Department of Psychology at Colorado State University.
Click here for Dr. Prince's paper quantifying the variance unexplained by alcohol consumption alone.
Regular exercise confers many benefits: It will increase your mood, decrease fatigue, and increase the quality of your sleep, among others. But how can exercise impact substance use? Is exercise an effective adjunct to treatment? If so, how do we encourage a behavior that, for many, is so hard to maintain? Dr. Ana Abrantes discusses the research on exercise and substance use treatment, with a particular focus on making exercise accessible. Dr. Ana Abrantes is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Co-Director of Behavioral Medicine and Addictions Research at Butler Hospital.
Have you ever passed a sign on the road advertising for something called "Kratom"? or, perhaps, a friend or family member has mentioned trying it. What is it? An herbal supplement, or pharmacological drug? As addiction scientists, epidemiologists, and clinicians, do we have anything to be concerned about? In this episode, Dr. Kirsten Smith catches us up on what is known about Kratom, including the pharmacology, effects, and prevalence of this emerging substance. Dr. Kirsten Smith is a Post-doctoral Fellow in the Real-world Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment Unit at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, and an incoming Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Sleep is a critical function that can be disrupted by substance use. In fact, the majority of people with an alcohol use disorder report insomnia or sleep disturbance. So, what is good sleep, and why does it seem that substance use disrupts it? Can you treat the sleep, even if the drinking doesn't change? Does cannabis actually help sleep? Dr. Mary Beth Miller answers these questions and more, in our latest episode on the relationship between sleep and substance use. Dr. Mary Beth Miller is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
Persistent alcohol use can, at times, interfere with intimate relationships and create conflict. The dynamic of the couple can be a source of tension and may create a loop that can perpetuate alcohol use. However, intimate couples relationships can also be great supports in the recovery from alcohol use disorder. Dr. Barbara McCrady talks about decades of research and development of Alcohol Behavioral Couples Therapy (ABCT), which attempts to target changes in alcohol use by bolstering the couples relationship and using the partner to help work toward behavior change. Dr. Barbara McCrady Professor Emerita of Psychology and the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addictions (CASAA) at the University of New Mexico. Here she is pictured with her beloved horse, Skylark.
Alcohol use produces changes in the cardiovascular system affecting heart rate. These systematic differences in heart rate can, in turn, function as a biological signature (i.e., biomarker) of dysfunction among those with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In addition to assessing difficulties, understanding heart rate modulation may have important treatment implications. Dr. David Eddie talks about heart rate variability as a biomarker of AUD and his work developing behavioral skills that can target heart rate using biofeedback to improve AUD treatment outcomes. Dr. Eddie is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and a Research Scientist at both Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Addiction Medicine and Recovery Research Institute.
Most commonly known psychedelics are considered schedule 1 substances by the controlled substances act, meaning they is no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. However, there is emerging evidence that psychedelics may have some therapeutic value. Dr. Matthew Johnson discusses the history of psychedelic research in the United States and his work on understanding abuse potential and therapeutic value of one specific psychedelic, psilocybin. Matt is the Susan Hill Ward Professor in Psychedelics and Consciousness and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins.
A great deal of our research focuses on adults with substance use disorder. Yet, many who develop severe substance use disorder begin during adolescence. What types of psychosocial treatments are available for adolescents? What about pharmacological treatments? Does combining psychosocial and pharmacological treatments increase efficacy? In this episode, Dr. Robert Miranda discusses treatments available for adolescents and the complications of developing these treatments. Dr. Robert Miranda is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the Warren Alpert Medical School, a Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences in the School of Public Health, and the Training Director of the NIAAA/NIDA Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University. He is also the Clinical Director of the Vista Intensive Outpatient Program at Bradley Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
Cannabis is becoming increasingly tolerated, both culturally and legally, across the United States and other parts of the world. Yet, there are at least 100 different psychoactive cannabinoids in any strain of cannabis. What do we know about these cannabinoids? Dr. Hollis Karoly talks about the two most common cannabinoids, THC and CBD, and what the scientific evidence suggests about their harms and benefits. She then discusses the connection between cannabinoids and alcohol use. Dr. Hollis Karoly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Colorado State University.
Addiction is characterized in part by habitual drug seeking and use and diminished pleasure from nondrug alternatives. Both may serve as critical points of intervention in the treatment of substance use. Mindfulness, the practice of intentional awareness, may be a useful tool to help clients notice habitual behavior and savor nondrug alternative rewards. Dr. Eric Garland discusses integrating mindfulness with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to create Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement. Dr. Eric Garland is the Distinguished Endowed Chair in Research, Distinguished Professor, and Associate Dean for Research in the University of Utah College of Social Work. He is also the Director of the Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development (C-MIIND). Find out more about his website.
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The Addiction Psychologist plays a pivotal role in helping individuals overcome their struggles with addiction. They bring a deep understanding of the complex psychological and emotional factors that contribute to addiction. If you're seeking guidance or support in this journey, I recommend visiting the website https://cedarwaytherapy.com/counselling-for-addiction. It can be a valuable resource to connect with a qualified addiction psychologist who can provide specialized counseling and therapy to address the underlying issues and triggers behind addiction. Whether it's substance abuse, gambling, or any other addictive behavior, seeking professional help is a crucial step towards recovery and a healthier, more fulfilling life.