Articles

Articles

A selection of my articles about different aspects related to addiction recovery listed in alphabetical order. Articles with an * at the end of the summary  involve research carried out by our Wired In team.

Addiction, Recovery, and Treatment: An Introduction

A brief look at the nature of addiction, the main types of help that facilitate recovery from addiction, the stages of behavioural change, and some of the features of addiction treatment. (1,911 words)

Read More ➔

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), 12-Step Movement, and Minnesota Model

Describes the nature of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), other 12-Step programmes, and the Minnesota Model, how they developed, and the key assumptions that underlie their approach. (1,320 words)

Read More ➔

Background Briefings

For a period of four years from 15th November 2004, I wrote a series of Background Briefings for Drink and Drugs News (DDN), the leading UK magazine focused on drug and alcohol treatment. Here are links to 38 of 72 Briefings; each contains a link to an original pdf. I will slowly upload all other Briefings. 

Read More ➔

Cocaine: The Experience of Using and Quitting

A large-scale research project involving current and former heavy users of cocaine, conducted by by Dan Waldorf and colleagues, reveals important insights into how people use cocaine and how they stop using the drug. (3,706 words)

Read More ➔

Factors That Facilitate Addiction Recovery

Recovery is something done by the person with the substance use problem, not by a treatment practitioner or anyone else. Whilst there are a multitude of pathways to recovery, there are a number of key factors that facilitate recovery from serious substance use problems. (9,586 words) *

Read More ➔

Factors that Facilitate Recovery (Short Version, 2013)

The importance of these factors has been demonstrated by listening to the narratives of recovering people about their journeys into and out of addiction (1,116 words). *

Read More ➔

Harm Reduction (Harm Minimisation)

Describes the rationale behind the harm reduction approach, as well as the different harm reduction interventions, e.g. needle and syringe exchanges and methadone maintenance. (922 words)

Read More ➔

Impact of a Loved One’s Substance Use Problems on Family Members

Our research aimed to look at how a loved one’s substance use problems can impact on the health and well-being of other family members. (2,145 words) *

Read More ➔

It’s Not Just About the Drug

The effects of a drug depend on an interaction between drug, person (set)  and social context (setting). These three factors also influence the likelihood of addiction and recovery from addiction (2,662 words).

Read More ➔

Journeys, Part 1: Descent Into Heroin Addiction

Heroin users’ own accounts of their experiences help us understand why and how people start using heroin, and continue to use until they realise they have become addicted to the drug. (5,176 words) *

Read More ➔

Journeys, Part 2: Living With Heroin Addiction

Heroin addiction often leads to changes in a person’s relationships, lifestyle, physical and psychological health, values, and identity. Some heroin addicts engage in criminal activity to maintain their habit. Heroin addicts are stigmatised by wider society. (5,643 words) *

Read More ➔

Learning From the Experts at BAC O’Connor

A qualitative research project involving clients of the structured day care programme at BAC O’Connor provided insights into the positive effects of the programme, as well as the factors that contributed to these beneficial effects. (2,302 words) *

Read More ➔

My Journey: From Brain Chemicals to Human Connection

An ongoing serialised account of my career, with an emphasis on describing my activities and the people who have inspired me since I closed down my university neuroscience laboratory in 2000 and started a community initiative (Wired In) focused on empowering people to overcome substance use problems.

Read More ➔

Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effects

Considers classification of psychoactive drugs (including alcohol); their effects on the brain; the drug experience; biological factors that influence the effects of long-term drug use; absorption and elimination of drugs, and the harms and risks of drug use. (6,176 words)

Read More ➔

Recovery, Reintegration, and Anti-Discrimination: Julian Buchanan

Key research highlighting the social exclusion that dependent drug users experience, and the difficulties they face in trying to reintegrate. Julian Buchanan describes a model for integrating problematic drug users back into mainstream society. (2,756 words)

Read More ➔

Self-Change and Recovery Capital

Robert Granfield and William Cloud’s research provides important insights into how many people overcome substance use problems without accessing treatment. They stress the importance of recovery capital in the process of recovery from addiction. (1,920 words)

Read More ➔

Should Recreational Drug Use Be Criminalised?

Douglas Husack provides a cogent analysis of the drug laws debate, focusing on the various reasons that prohibitionists posit for criminalising drug use, as well as the various disadvantages of prohibition. (1,992 words)

Read More ➔

Stopping Heroin Use Without Treatment

Research by Patrick Biernacki reveals important insights into how people recover from heroin addiction. It also illustrates the major challenges that people with a heroin addiction face on their journey to recovery (2,283 words). 

Read More ➔

Understanding Intentional Behavioural Change

Recovery from addiction is about behavioural change. James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente’s model about the stages and processes of behavioural change has made a very significant contribution to the field. (2,409 words)

Read More ➔

Untangling the Elements Involved in Addiction Treatment

Our research focused on interviews of people in a prison treatment programme revealed insights into the elements that operate in the treatment process, and how they interact to facilitate recovery from addiction. (3,892 words) *

Read More ➔