Category: Doctor’s Thoughts

I have written before about seeing addiction as a maladaptive response to distress. Seen in this way, addiction is chemical coping– habitually using a substance

At some point in our lives (or maybe many points in our lives), we find ourselves stuck. The way in which we are stuck can

We are social creatures. We have evolved to exist in complex interpersonal structures and communities. As such, we are programmed to seek respect and admiration.

When we think about fixing problems, or moving in new directions, we do not think through the amount of time it will take to really

The current cultural ethos asks us to “engage and to add your voice to the conversation.” Mostly, that seems to translate to shouting into the

One of the interesting things about taking care of patients with substance use disorders is that the lessons and implications of substance use apply to

There are many useful mental models— ways of looking at the world. Looking at a problem or situation through different lenses tends to reveal different

Fair warning: the title is a misnomer— this is not really about 5 words, but rather 5 phrases. My wife and I recently had the

Recently, I wasted a night. We had finished dinner, I had some time before bed, and there were several fun things I could have done.