All Things Substance

Avoiding topics of conversation is super normal for people. We work hard to help our clients talk about the hard things and to face the things that need to come to light. There's an area that we might not be asking about that could make a huge difference in our work.

What is recovery? Recovery really is, at its core, the process of change. It is a living and active process through which people make long lasting changes in their lives. There isn't an end date or a destination. There are stages to it though and everyone goes through it differently from another person. In today's episode, we'll talk about all of this and more.

Stages of addiction can help us understand how severe someone's use is and if you need to refer out. What's the difference between dependence and addiction? When does normal use move to risky use? On today's episode we'll talk about the 6 stages of addiction.

Triggers and cravings are a huge key to what helps addiction develop. It's not just the reward pathways that drive addiction progression. Today we'll talk about how triggers and cravings impact this process.

Some therapists worry that adding substance use to their scope of practice will expose them to more risk and liability.  Our licenses are super important to us and we want to protect ourselves. Today we are going to be talking about what risk there is, if any, when we take on substance use clients. 

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have brought many into recovery and saved lives all over the world. Most people know that there are 12 Steps, but they don't know what the Steps are and most haven't heard of the 12 Traditions. Today we'll be covering exactly what these pillars of recovery are and how they work together to create a plan of recovery. 

Recovery meetings can be a giant help to people as they move through recovery from all kinds of things. Today we'll talk about the benefits of recovery meetings, the spiritual aspect to meetings and what clients can expect when they attend a meeting.

Sex is a vital part of who we are as humans. When people are using substances, sex becomes entwined with their use. So what happens when a person has to navigate sexual experiences without the use of substances? It can be tricky to navigate and today we'll talk about the things that should be addressed and considered. 

Addiction and love? I got a chance to sit down with Andrea Owen (our January recovery story) on her podcast Make Some Noise. During that conversation she talks a bit about her own recovery journey and the concept of love addiction. We talked about addiction from the perspective of brain science and what love addiction means. 

It was all about love. That's what Dufflyn was looking for from the time she was a small girl all the way into her 40's. She consistently was seeking to fill a need and find a place to belong. For a long while alcohol and drugs were the answer. Recovery was a process and today we'll hear her story of finding peace and freedom.

Is CBD good for anxiety and/or PTSD? Is CBD good for treating substance use disorders? Is CBD good for chronic pain and arthritis? With CBD being added to more things all the time (drinks, lotion, vitamins and even water) it can be hard to know what is real and what isn't. In our work as therapists we really need to know what science is saying about CBD and its benefits. I took on the task of sorting through research to find the truth.

What is CBD? Is CBD what people say it is? We start from the beginning and go over its origins, how it works and what to look for.  In the second part we'll talk about fact vs fiction according to the research. Join me as we this product that is popping up everywhere.  

In this episode we talk about the three most popular sleep medications used in the non-benzodiazepine class.  We'll discuss the risks inherent in these medications as well as the risk of addiction.  

What type of sleep disorder warrants prescription sleep medication? What types of sleep medications are there? Sleep medications are an important tool in treating insomnia. There are different kinds that each act in a different way in the body. This episode addresses all of that and more. 

The key to staying sober isn't loving others enough, fear of getting in trouble, nor the hope of a good future. These reasons are unique to each person and vary wildly. The thing these people have in common is that the original reason that got them on this path won't hold up forever. The reason to get sober isn't going to be the reason to stay sober. That, is something else entirely.

Check out this free downloadable resource and this podcast episode will give you more information on it. It's a quick reference guide to help you determine if someone's substance use is appropriate for you to work with or if they need a specialist. Today I'll walk through it and explain how it works.

ADHD treatment can bring to mind a few different things. Medications, particularly stimulants are usually at the top of the list. ADHD treatment for adults can be complicated due to the abuse of stimulant medications, the medical providers being hesitant to prescribe and the lack of access to psych testing to confirm a diagnosis. For our purposes, we are focused on the medication part and talking about what our role, as therapists, might be in this side of treatment. This is a repost of Episode 45

ADHD diagnoses are becoming more common for children but especially in the adult population. Research tells us that approximately 70% of people with ADHD benefit from stimulant medication. This means that the number of prescriptions for ADHD medications are higher than ever. What impact do these things have on us and our clients? Check out this episode of All Things Substance.

What are the benzodiazepines used for anti anxiety? What's the difference between them? Are benzodiazepines ever safe? Ativan, Xanax and Klonopin are some of the most prescribed medications in America for anti anxiety.. What's the difference between them? Tune in to this week's episode of All Things Substance.

What are benzodiazepines? How are they used? What are the risks? Benzodiazepines can feel like a miracle for a person with anxiety. Feeling panicked to feeling ok in a matter of minutes. But there's more to them than that.  Tune in to this week's episode of All Things Substance.

Why is marijuana illegal anyway? What's the difference between legalization and decriminalization? What implication does this have for therapists? The debate over legalization of marijuana is all around us. It's a complex issue and there are a lot of terms used that we should know and understand. This podcast explores the origins of the ban on marijuana and talks about the reasons for and against legalization.

What are common things people say about marijuana? What are the facts about those common claims? What implication does this have in therapy? Marijuana conversations give rise to really interesting information being shared. Much of it isn't based on science or fact. It can be really hard to know what the real truth is, even if you know where to look. This week we'll be discussing the common things people say when they talk about marijuana. 

What is marijuana and how is it used? Why is THC potency important? What does this have to do with therapy? Marijuana is here to stay and it looks like we're heading towards legalization. The use of marijuana comes up often in therapy circles and we need to know about it. Join me for an up-front conversation about weed.

The holidays are here, no matter what your faith tradition or country, there's a holiday in here for everyone. For some the holidays are a joyful time where they look forward to seeing family and friends. For others, the holidays can be a difficult time. For people who struggle with substances, it tends to be a difficult time to navigate. There's an expectation that we will "indulge" ourselves with food and alcohol. If someone chooses NOT to drink, they would get questioned on a normal day. During a holiday though, it feels almost anti-holiday to not partake. Today we're talking about managing the holidays without using substances. Our clients have all sorts of opinions about the holidays, family and the expectation of spending money. They often talk with us about these challenges. It's a great time to review skills that they can use to manage stress. Your client won't think its odd if you bring up stress, drinking and skills. So, listen in on the discussion today about using skills over the holidays.

I don't believe we can rely on our agencies or employers to take care of our development or help us with safe care. I believe we need to make sure we are being proactive to make sure we have what we need to help us keep developing as therapists and that we are doing what we can to prevent burnout so we can continue to do the work we love. This is why I LOVE THERABUNDLE. Today I want to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Tamara Howell who created it. 

Trauma and substance use have a bidirectional relationship. According to my guest, Eric Sullivan, growing up gay is a form of complex trauma. The LGBTQ+ community faces a lot of factors that put them at risk for higher rates of problematic substance use. Today I'll talk with Eric, a therapist and member of the LGBTQ+ community about what contributes to this risk, his professional and personal experiences.

How do we not just survive, but thrive in our work? How do we get to keep being our badass therapist selves and still enjoy what we do? There really are things we can do to help ourselves.  Our workplaces, agencies or bosses aren't going to take care of us the way we need. Today, I continue my conversation about how we can help protect ourselves and even walk-back from burnout. I'm joined by two friends and colleagues who share their experiences with us.   

Being a therapist is badass. We are depicted as cardigan-wearing, somewhat nerdy, mild-mannered intellectuals or touchy-feely, overly sensitive, preschool teacher-esque guides for people. The reality of our jobs is far grittier and messier than people expect. We choose to go into the storms with people. We have to stay grounded and help them find the way out. We not only do it everyday, we do it for decades. Is it any wonder we burn out? Ours is sacred work and it puts us at risk for compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary traumatic stress.  In this episode, I talk with Vicarious Trauma Expert Dr. Jenny Hughes about what is so hard about our jobs and what research tells us we need to protect ourselves.

Many therapists shy away from asking about substance use.  There are some very common and very valid reasons for this. Today, I want to share the top 5 most common reasons I've heard for avoiding talking about substance use. Then I want to share my top 5 reasons why I really believe we all should be assessing for substance use. If you resonate with any of the reasons why folks don't assess, you are not alone! My hope is that you will end the podcast feeling encouraged to give screening a try. I'm going to be showing you some great assessment questions in our live event Braving the Course on Monday September 18th at 6pmCST.  

Bidirectional means “moving or taking place in two usually opposite directions.” This concept is super important to understanding how trauma and substance use connect. They don't just intersect, they interact and drive the other. Let's talk about the research that is out there about this connection.

It's not easy to hear the stories of pain and suffering day in and day out. We chose this path because we have a passion for helping others, but that doesn't mean it's always smooth sailing. In fact, the longer we do this work, the harder it can become. That's why we're here to talk about how we can avoid burnout, find joy in our work, and build resilience as therapists.  

Screening for substance use allows you to provide comprehensive care to your clients. By assessing their substance use patterns, you gain valuable insights into how their substance use may be contributing to their mental health challenges. This holistic approach enables you to tailor treatment plans to account for how they are using substances in their lives. But how do we start? Today we'll talk about this topic as we prepare for the main event, Braving the Course, coming up 1 week from today!

As we continue talking about the intersection of trauma and substance use work, in today's episode  Jenny is going to be sharing an important skill with us that is designed to help us not just survive the work we do. It's built to help us be resilient and to be able to do what we love without burning out.   

Want to treat trauma and substance use with confidence? We've got you covered!  Today we're joining together in this episode to talk about the intersection between substance use and trauma. We are so excited to bring our live event Braving the Course to you this August. This is part 1 of 4 podcast episodes to get us ready for Braving the Course,  which will give you the tangible skills to thrive while working with trauma and substance use.   

Gambling addiction brings to mind a certain image for many of us. There are so many ways gambling exists and scams people out of their money. I wanted to find out about gambling assessment and treatment. So I had the chance to interview a fellow therapist who happens to specialize in gambling addiction and I want to share it with you. 

If you google “substance use CEU”, there are a ton of results. How do you even know where to start and what to pick? I'm about to make a bold statement, I know what you need to know to work with substance use and I can teach it to you in 6 weeks. I'm so excited to announce Charting the Course, my 6 week live taught course to give you what you need to feel confident and competent in addressing client substance use. Check out today's episode to hear all about it.

Secondary gain is a powerful thing. It impacts behavior in ways that we wouldn't think of, but when it comes to substance use it's an important factor in making long lasting change. Today, we'll talk about the concept of secondary gain.

People change because they want to or because they have to. When neither of those things are true, change isn't going to happen. For substance use, the “readiness to change” may be the single biggest factor in someone making long-lasting change in their relationship with their substance of choice. 

Just say no. You should just quit. So and so just stopped doing it, so can you. Some people believe that willpower should be all someone needs to overcome addiction. Willpower is a part of how people make change and make new habits. But willpower isn't enough to overcome addiction.   

In the addiction treatment world, abstinence and harm reduction can often be seen as contrary to each other. We need both models available in order to truly help clients. Our goal is to meet clients where they are and help walk with them to building a life worth living sober. 

Why should mental health therapists assess substance use? Is that really in our scope? My answer is a resounding, Yes. In this episode I go through ten reasons why assessing for substance use is vital to our work and to our client's well-being. 

Therapists and psychiatrists want the same thing: for our clients to be well. We don't always get the chance to work together. I wanted to see what we could do to bridge the gap between us. I interviewed  a psychiatrist friend of mine, Dr. Jess Beachkofsky, about what it's like to be a psychiatrist, what she's focusing on during her appointments and how we can help.

If you google “substance use CEU”, there are a ton of results. How do you even know where to start and what to pick? I'm about to make a bold statement, I know what you need to know to work with substance use and I can teach it to you in 6 weeks. I'm so excited to announce Charting the Course, my 6 week live taught course to give you what you need to feel confident and competent in addressing client substance use. Check out today's episode to hear all about it.

Some therapists worry that adding substance use to their scope of practice will expose them to more risk and liability.  Our licenses are super important to us and we want to protect ourselves. Today we are going to be talking about what risk there is, if any, when we take on substance use clients. 

Do you feel equipped to work with substance use?  I'm curious about this because many therapists don't feel skilled enough. It makes me wonder what skills therapists think they need to be “ready” to do it. You likely have all the skills you need. Check out this episode on what skills you need to work with substance use. 

I've been suggesting that regular mental health therapists can work with substance use. But what does that mean? Doesn't treatment have to be some specific techniques, length of  time and process?  What is treatment really like? Let's take a closer look.

Avoiding topics of conversation is super normal for people. We work hard to help our clients talk about the hard things and to face the things that need to come to light. There's an area that we might not be asking about that could make a huge difference in our work.

What is recovery?Recovery really is, at its core, the process of change. It is a living and active process through which people make long lasting changes in their lives. There isn't an end date or a destination. There are stages to it though and everyone goes through it differently from another person. In today's episode, we'll talk about all of this and more.

Stages of addiction can help us understand how severe someone's use is and if you need to refer out. What's the difference between dependence and addiction? When does normal use move to risky use? On today's episode we'll talk about the 6 stages of addiction.

Triggers and cravings are a huge key to what helps addiction develop. It's not just the reward pathways that drive addiction progression. Today we'll talk about how triggers and cravings impact this process.

Adding substance use to your scope of practice  means that you will want to have a source for good information. How do you know who to trust? Why am I the right person for you to talk with and listen to?  Today I'll share what the last 20 years of my career has taught me.