By Aaron Weiner, PhD
5
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The podcast currently has 34 episodes available.
We talk a lot about turning the tide in the opioid epidemic – Dr. Eric Garland is actually out there doing something about it.
On the latest episode of Let’s Talk, Dr. Garland and I discuss the psychotherapy he’s developing called MORE – Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement. MORE is a psychotherapy specifically designed (and being validated) for treating opioid use disorder (OUD). This is more rare than you might think: most gold-standard addiction psychotherapies (like CBT) show far less efficacy for treating OUD than for other substance use disorders.
Dr. Eric Garland is the inaugural Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion Endowed Professor in Health Sciences and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California-San Diego. Previously, he served as Distinguished Endowed Chair in Research, Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Utah College of Social Work.
On the podcast we dive into…
And more! And MORE? …and we cover other topics, too!
If you’d like to look deeper into MORE and Dr. Garland’s work, please see below:
New Book / Treatment Manual for MORE
MORE Overview and Information
Professional Training and Certification in MORE
Open-Access Academic Journal Articles:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2789279
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2812818
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230272
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aax1569
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abo4455
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235215462100067X
Today marks the first solo episode of my podcast, which I'm calling "Let's Muse!"
Let's Muse episodes will cover a current topic that I'm finding interesting at the moment, and I'd love to hear your musings about it on my corresponding posts on LinkedIn and YouTube.
Today I'll cover two recent developments in the nicotine and vaping world: my take on how to interpret a recent Cochrane Review (see link below) that found that vaping is an effective method for quitting smoking, as well as Phillip Morris announcing the construction of a new $600 million manufacturing plant in Colorado to up production of Zyn nicotine pouches.
Have an opinion? Let's talk about it!
Vaping for Smoking Cessation Review: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8/full
New Zyn Manufacturing Plant: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/zyn-maker-increases-production-capacity-new-600-million-facility-color-rcna162072
My guests for this episode on alcohol myths are Dr. Laura Kwako and Dr. Thekla Brumder Ross from the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA)!
Dr. Laura Kwako, PhD, is chief of the Treatment, Health Services, & Recovery Branch (THSRB) in the Division of Treatment and Recovery at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Thekla Brumder Ross, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist and a Strategic Advisor to NIH-NIAAA.
I chat with Drs. Kwako and Brumder Ross about a range of topics during today's conversation, including:
- Is any amount of alcohol actively good for your health? Or at least not harmful?
- Why don't alcohol-related public health issues receive the same amount of attention as other drugs of concern, like opioids and THC? How can we better raise awareness?
- A recent study found that only 2% of patients who were admitted to a hospital for an alcohol-related concern received an FDA-approved medication for alcoholism. Why do you think this is, and how do we change it?
- Data indicate that both patients and providers don't feel entirely comfortable talking about alcohol-related problems during medical visits. Why do you think this is? And how can we improve the situation?
- If someone is concerned and wants to change their relationship with alcohol, where can they begin?
And more!
My NIAAA guests referenced a *bunch* of resources during the podcast, including:
- Rethinking Drinking (self-evaluation): https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
- Written self-evaluation guide: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/sites/default/files/Options-People-Thinking-About-Drinking.pdf
- Alcohol Treatment Navigator: https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/
- Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol (Free CME/CEU Hub): https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol
- Alcohol Policy Hub: https://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/
To get in touch and learn more about Dr. Kwako, visit her NIAAA profile page at https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about-niaaa/our-staff/laura-e-kwako-phd. Dr. Brumder Ross is available at her website at https://www.theklabr.com/
My guest for this episode is Dr. Brian Licuanan! Dr. Licuanan is an author, speaker, and board-certified psychologist practicing in Southern California, and specializes in working with highly acute clients struggling with substance abuse disorders and mental health conditions. He recently published a new book, "How to Get Your Resisting Loved One into Treatment: A Step-by-Step Guide for Mental Health and/or Addiction Crisis," which is an absolute treasure-trove of information about how to understand and interpret a loved one's addictive behaviors and how to leverage the family system to help move them towards a path of healing and recovery.
I talk with Dr. Licuanan about a range of topics related to his book, including:
- How can you inspire hope in families who have been struggling with a loved one's addiction for a long period of time?
- What is "assertive love," and how does it differ from the less-useful paradigm of "tough love"?
- Why is experiencing discomfort important for motivating behavioral change?
- Dr. Licuanan's very useful "H2O Model" for the essential ingredients in addiction recovery.
And more!
To get in touch and learn more about Dr. Licuanan, visit his website at https://drbrianlicuanan.com/
My guest for this episode of Let's Talk is Dr. Jeanne Jakob - a board-certified psychologist based in Silicon Valley, and an expert in treating trauma and PTSD from a number of different therapeutic modalities. She is the founder of Inside Out Psychology, a website and platform to promote the public's knowledge about psychotherapy, psychological science, and the mental health industry.
On today's podcast we address a range of trauma-related topics, including:
And more!
If you'd like to get in touch with Dr. Jakob, you can reach her at her website at PsychInsideOut.com, or follow her on LinkedIn (at linkedin.com/in/DrJakobInsideOutPsychology).
Dr Jakob's writing can also be followed on Substack InsideOutPsychology.substack.com
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, so to kick things off I'm having a conversation with Dr. Molly Bowdring!
Dr. Bowdring is a clinical scholar and postdoctoral researcher in the Stanford Prevention Research Center, a clinician at Stanford's Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, and the author of a recently-published peer-reviewed article (link below) on non-alcoholic beverages (NABs), with several more on this topic on the way! Her research centers on factors that contribute to initiation, maintenance, and exacerbation of substance use, as well as identifying approaches to decrease risky use patterns. She is currently interested in studying the relationship between non-alcoholic beverage use (e.g., non-alcoholic beers/wines/liquor) and alcohol use.
Topics discussed include:
- What is a non-alcoholic beverage, exactly? Are they all made the same way, or are there differences?
- How is the general public using NABs at the moment? What are the use cases?
- If someone has alcoholism, how should they judge the decision about whether or not to drink NABs? What are possible risk factors?
- Are NABs safe if you're pregnant?
- Is it currently legal to sell NABs to teens? And if so, what are the implications on those teens' progression to full-strength alcohol consumption?
To get in touch with Dr. Bowdring, you can find more information about her and her contact information on her Stanford profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/bowdring
And for those interested, here's Dr. Bowdring's most recent study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.16452
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and my guest for this episode of Let's Talk is Dr. Jeremiah Weinstock!
Dr. Jeremiah Weinstock is a licensed psychologist, professor of psychology, and the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Saint Louis University. He is an expert in the assessment and treatment of substance-related and addictive disorders with over 65 peer-review publications and research funding from the National Institutes of Health and the International Center for Responsible Gaming. He has co-authored several scientific papers on how to treat gambling disorder with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr. Weinstock maintains a small clinical practice focused on working with individuals diagnosed with gambling disorder.
Topics discussed include:
- Why is gambling, and particularly sports betting, seemingly everywhere right now?
- How do you know if someone's gambling behavior is becoming problematic?
- What are "low risk" gambling guidelines?
- Do casinos or betting apps have a responsibility to use their data to protect their customers/users?
- Why haven't certain predatory tactics in the gambling industry been prohibited yet?
- What are current best-practice treatments for problematic gambling behavior? And what resources are available if someone can't afford therapy?
To get in touch with Dr. Weinstock you can reach out to him at:
https://www.slu.edu/arts-and-sciences/psychology/faculty/weinstock-jeremiah.php
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-weinstock/
My guest for this episode of Let's Talk is Dr. Doug Bolton!
Dr. Bolton is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Director of School Consultation for Formative Psychological Services. He spent over 20 years as a psychologist and principal at North Shore Academy, a K-12 therapeutic school in Highland Park, IL. He is now speaking nationally, under contract to publish a mass-market book on parenting in the next 12-18 months, and continues to maintain his clinical practice.
I chat with Dr. Bolton about:
- How parents and teachers are putting unnecessarily heavy amounts of stress on kids, and steps we can take to stop
- How our emphasizing high achievement in school as the key to a kids' future happiness and health is misguided, and what the alternatives are
- Parenting strategies to help kids to cope more effectively with stress in today's post-COVID world
- How to leverage the positive power of community to bolster and address youth mental health issues
And more!
To get in touch with Dr. Bolton you can reach out to him at:
https://www.fpschicago.com/doug-bolton-phd
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-bolton-7389a38/
https://twitter.com/DrDougBolton
My guest for this episode of Let's Talk is Jamie Ducharme - author of "Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise and Fall of JUUL" - recently adapted to be a top-rated docuseries on Netflix!
Jamie Ducharme is a correspondent at TIME magazine, where she writes frequently about topics related to health and science. She has won awards from New York Press Club, the Deadline Club, and the Newswomen’s Club of New York. Her investigative journalistic book about JUUL, "Big Vape," is a deep-dive into the history of JUUL and its impact on the trajectory of teen vaping in the United States. "Big Vape" was recently adapted into a television docuseries, and has been nominated for a Critic's Choice Documentary Award.
You can find Big Vape at the links below:
Netflix (Docuseries): https://www.netflix.com/browse?jbv=81444184
Amazon (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Big-Vape-Incendiary-Rise-Juul-ebook/dp/B08NH9K8FP/
My guest for this episode is Dr. Cortney Warren, PhD, ABPP! Dr. Warren is a board-certified psychologist and the author of the new book "Letting Go of Your Ex: CBT Skills to Heal the Pain of a Breakup and Overcome Love Addiction." Dr. Warren is an expert on addictions, self-deception, eating pathology, and the practice of psychotherapy from a cross-cultural perspective, and is also the author of over 50 journal articles and book chapters.
We cover a lot of ground during our conversation about Dr. Warren's new book, including:
- What is love addiction, and how do you address its symptoms?
- What's the difference between "normal" breakup struggles and symptoms of love addiction?
- How does childhood attachment with parents relate to adult romantic relationships?
And more! If you'd like to get in touch with Dr. Warren, you can reach her at her website at https://drcortney.com/
The podcast currently has 34 episodes available.