Substance use disorder and the rapid rise in overdose deaths are among the most urgent issues facing our state. To save more lives and help communities heal, we must work together. That is why I’m particularly excited about an upcoming summit here in Minnesota. In January, several partners will host the SUD Shared Solutions Summit, …
Background In 2014 I authored an article for the Phoenix Spirit advocating for the passage of Steve’s Law. Steve’s Law, also known as the Good Samaritan Law, did pass in 2014, providing limited protections to people who call 911 and/or administer naloxone in response to a suspected or known drug overdose. The person calling 911, …
For most of us, our first responders-police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics-are part of our local fabric. We may nod to the cop on the beat, wave to a crew of firefighters as they pass by or pull over obediently when an ambulance races by us. But, we generally take these men and women …
When we think of recovery programs for substance use disorders or addictive behaviors, many of us automatically think of the Twelve Steps. No surprise, since millions of people throughout the world embrace this philosophy that sprung up in the 1930s when the first Twelve Step group, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), was founded. Today there are Twelve …
To mark Recovery Month in Minnesota, I want to tell you about substance use disorder treatment reform, a website, and a mother from southern Minnesota. Let’s start with a hypothetical mother from southern Minnesota. Two years ago after much discussion, she finally gets her son, a heroin user, to agree to treatment. The mother, who …
I am a person in long-term recovery. What that means to me is that I have not used alcohol or drugs in 24 years. I have found great joy, love, success, and health in my recovery, and have also experienced profound loss, pain, and failure. But my recovery has given me the hope and stability …
Eating disorders don’t discriminate. But people with a history of substance use disorder are at a higher risk for developing a potentially life threatening eating disorder. Clients may get sober only to use eating disorder symptoms — bingeing, restricting/dieting, and/or purging — instead of their drug of choice to cope with challenging emotions. This is …
