Hi all.
Shaun Shelly (a frequent contributor to this blog) and I are co-hosting a series of four “salons” webcast (if that’s the word) by a splendid organization called Interintellect. These salons are Zoom-based meetings of people from various disciplines: IT, mental health, consciousness, culture, art and literature, drug use, philosophy, neuroscience, and science more generally. A broad array. It is a forum for discussion more than a lecture series, and the participants tend to be progressive and humanist as well as intelligent, thoughtful, and knowledgeable. The cost for participation is minimal.
I hope you will check out other salons on Interintellect as well. Many of them are just fascinating, many are hosted by key thinkers on various topics (e.g., TED-type folks) and it’s a great way to get up to date on current thinking. It’s also an opportunity to voice your own thoughts and see how others respond to them, and to connect with individuals who may become colleagues or friends. Shaun’s and my salon series will be a vehicle for connecting with researchers, clinicians, and policy people who are up to date on current approaches to addiction and drug use.
So please join us to listen and share perspectives on addiction and related issues: https://interintellect.com/salon/understanding-addiction-how-addiction-works/
The first of the four salons is to be on 25 February, 1pm EST, 6pm in the UK, and 7pm in Europe.
Best wishes,
Marc and Shaun
Informed by unparalleled neuroscientific insight and written with his usual flare, Marc Lewis’s The Biology of Desire effectively refutes the medical view of addiction as a brain disease. A bracing and informative corrective to the muddle that now characterizes public and professional discourse on this topic.” —Gabor Maté, M.D., author of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction
Wow, this looks like a effective and productive way to use the ZOOM format.
These “salons” may be a great way to continue to shed new light on addiction and recovery, with voices and thoughts from others too.
I will be on the road for this Salon, but will there be a way to watch a Salon afterwards?
Best,
Carlton
Hi Carlton. Yes, the salons are a terrific format for group discussion. Comments are queued up and selected by the salon host….so that way there isn’t total chaos, but everyone gets a shot at moving the dialogue in a new direction. Good to hear from you. I hope all’s well.
Hi Marc
This is great! The relatively recent tectonic shift of focus to harm reduction as the pandemic thrust the world’s inequities, inanity, and blissfully willful ignorance into stark relief has an additional “benefit”. It reminds us that the whole freaking world and species is in harm reduction mode, and the sooner we do something about it instead of ruefully gawking at it the better. Look forward to the talks and happy to see you back in the saddle again!!
Great to hear from you, Matt! We have some catching up to do. And delighted that you plan to attend. So does Peter Sheath, I see. This is looking like a grand reunion! We’ll have lots of opportunity to trade ideas and build some consensus. Should be fabulous.
Carl Hart talks about the fact that Harm Reduction still has the discussion in the realm of ‘harm’ – the assumption being all (illicit) drug use causes Harm – a bit like Decriminalisation it is a smoke screen and does not really address the issue at heart – drugs are useful and have enormous benefits for most people and the only answer is legalisation of all drugs – (recreational) drug use is a social issue predominately and is not a health issue for most people and should not be a justice issue in itself for anyone – hi Mark
Hi Terry, We just revised the wording for the intro to the salon. Let me know if this feels more balanced to you. I also didn’t like the sense of drugs = harm, which is not my view, nor Shaun’s, as you probably know.
This is wonderful. I will figure out the time zones and hope to and attend from California. ! I agree with Matt who posted above. We must stay involved. Thank everyone.
Hi Janet. Yes, please do attend. It would be a real plus to have your input. Lots of opportunity to learn from each other and…just connect.
Hey Marc, this sounds great really looking forward to joining it. Hope you’re well
Hey, this is fabulous! You, Matt, Shaun and me all in the same room….unfortunately a virtual room, but it’s way better than nothing. I’m well, Peter. Hope you are too.
Great idea- more dynamic learning and I look forward to it
The salon thing reminds me of Michael Schermer postings.
It would be great to see you there, Bill! Thanks for your support, as always.
Hey Marc –
So I missed it, that’s on me. Will there be advanced notification for the upcoming sessions?
Marc, I’m going to piggy back on this question. I was unable to attend (I was skiing for the week) but would love to attend another if I possibly can.
Intensive Outpatient Program is for people who have reached the end of their care, or those who are ready to move on. Maybe their addiction problem is less severe. Perhaps this is their first time seeking treatment. Although they don’t know if they have an addiction, they are beginning to see signs of trouble. They may not have a history of addiction, but were prescribed medication and are finding it difficult to stop. Someone who is familiar with addiction treatment, has had good sobriety and recently relapsed. They might not require a residential setting, so IOP may be appropriate. They have all the tools and just need to get on the right track.