Understanding Addiction

Hi again. Sorry I’ve been so…absent…lately, but I’ve had a number of ideas I’d like to share with you in the next few weeks. The first involves psychedelics, whose benefits have long remained mysterious. We are finally getting a glimpse of how psychedelics work to improve mental health. And it’s fascinating. So consider this a […] (Read the rest.)

A 30% increase in overdose deaths in 2020? Sure, the year of the pandemic. Most agree that isolation has been a huge causal factor, but what does isolation mean in a world patched together by social media? Rat Park and Social Baseline Theory help us see the full picture. Over the last few months there […] (Read the rest.)

In response to some of your requests, this guest-post portrays the context, experience, and potential value of psychedelic therapy for those struggling with addiction (and other stuff). By someone who’s been there and can talk about it with precision and depth.   …By Eric Nada… I was very nervous the first time I drank ayahuasca. […] (Read the rest.)

I have not posted anything on this blog for over three months. I sometimes feel I’ve said all I have to say about addiction, and now is one of those times. But new ideas come in clusters. It’s hard to know whether and when a new cluster is about to pop up. Maybe it’s now. […] (Read the rest.)

…By Shaun Shelly… Here is a very special guest post by Shaun, a frequent contributor to the blog. Shaun’s view of drug use is deeply humanistic — he goes well beyond “harm reduction” to urge sensitivity and respect for the needs of diverse individuals, groups, and societies. As the title suggests, he moves beyond labelling […] (Read the rest.)