A psychiatrist in recovery explores the addictions in all of us, integrating science, philosophy, and the art of flourishing in recovery. Columbia University bioethicist, author of THE URGE: OUR HISTORY OF ADDICTION, a New Yorker Best Book of 2022.
Your podcast has been an incredible gift to me in supporting my recovery and expanding my understanding of what recovery means. I’m grateful for your work and looking forward to being part of this community.
Welcome aboard Doc. Interesting read...It was Rat Park that grabbed me. I see a tip of the hat to trauma...anything is better than nothing. I self-identified as a lab rat in 1977. A lot of people never get to that realization. I did, then as paraquat and mandatory sentencing were just kicking in. This Old Crow is listening.
You are quite welcome, Doc. Happy, to be of service. Grateful to be alive to do it, even yet. After more than half a century in the maze, it is nice to be able to take a breath outside of it. I do prefer life as an Old Crow to that of a young rat but would not trade the lessons learned in those traps for a trillion bucks. BA, RU New Brunswick , MA, RU Newark.
I'm new to your work but will be subscribing to "Rat Park" as soon as I finish this comment. Love your humble but not shrinking approach to the subject and look forward to reading your insights.
Great addition to your excellent book and podcast. Both have played an important role in my slightly “atypical” recovery. 🙏 Would you consider writing about Portugal’s drug strategy - what you’ve witnessed during your time there, thoughts, concerns? Just really curious.
Thank you. So glad the work has been helpful especially with an "atypical" recovery, would love to hear more in the comments as this proceeds. Writing about Portugal... definitely in the works!
I appreciate your contributions to this field and look forward to continuing to follow Rat Park. Your book has been not only a great resource professionally but has helped to alleviate many of my own feelings of judgment and shame in recovery. I'll be subscribing. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Michael, comments like this mean the world to me. I hope you got to listen to my latest podcast episode on shame with Jason Luoma. I look forward to your continued comments!
Complicated, yes. Are there many who hang their hat on unproven or frankly ridiculous methods of treatment. As overdose’s continue, I have a question or two about NarCan. Thank you Dr. Fisher.
Thank you, Carl, for your podcast with Dr. Ray Baker. I particularly enjoyed his down to earth discussion of topics I am unfamiliar with or know only in passing. He seemed to go out of his way to demystify things so that laymen like me could understand him without hitting the pause button and doing Google searches. I expect Dr. Baker was an exceptional teacher, and I look forward to reading his book.
If I may offer a bit of constructive criticism, I found Dr. Baker’s discussion of AA and his transformative awakening to agnosticism wanting. He seemed to perhaps be constrained by AA’s tradition of anonymity – I don’t think he directly stated that he’s an AA member, but that seems a logical conclusion. Also, I was hoping to hear the experience of someone more like myself; I find my atheism incompatible with AA. Dr. Baker seems to have taken a tack very common for skeptics who join AA, and a tack I took myself decades ago: he apparently underwent enough of a movement towards theism that he can operate comfortably in AA. I and many others joined AA dreading all the God stuff, but out of desperation for both sobriety and inclusion in the AA community we learned to go along to get along. And maybe it saved my life. In the time and place I got sober, the 12 Steppers were the only game in town, so I’m glad I was able to go along. Yet I still feel that my conscience was violated by my local AA’s insistence on a “character flaw” and “spiritual” approach to alcoholism and recovery.
Several years ago I experienced a conversion back to atheism. As a result, I eventually left AA. I’m not comfortable even in secular AA. In fact, I’ve found very little in secular AA that is truly secular. The movement would more accurately be labeled agnostic AA, in my opinion, because most of the secular AA members and groups I’ve met are perfectly comfortable discussing “spirituality.” Some of them go so far as to try to discuss something they call secular spirituality. Now there’s a term that screams indefinability, encourages mushy thinking, and is a raging oxymoron. But I guess (and hope) that’s a discussion for another day.
Your nuanced approach to the complexities of addiction and recovery has helped me to work through the reasons for my addiction and my struggles in recovery. Excited that you are now on Substack!
Really looking forward to reading, Carl. As a doctor of Chinese Medicine in recovery (and writing about addiction from that angle), I love learning about the topic from folks who use different languages and lenses.
Welcome! Rat Park is a great name for a newsletter about addiction. I’ve reported on the sober and sober curious scene since 2015, mostly about the role liquid courage plays in our interpersonal relationships.
Needless to say, I am so grateful for your book and your work. I appreciate how you acknowledge that addiction is seemingly everywhere, more than just drugs and alcohol. It’s a behavioral, psychological issue that so many people don’t understand. Looking forward to more of your writing. Welcome to Substack! 🤘🏽📚
Glad you’re here, Carl! I write a lot about addiction and recovery, too, but more from a personal and cultural angle.
Your podcast has been an incredible gift to me in supporting my recovery and expanding my understanding of what recovery means. I’m grateful for your work and looking forward to being part of this community.
Thanks so much for the kind note John. Glad you’re here!
Welcome aboard Doc. Interesting read...It was Rat Park that grabbed me. I see a tip of the hat to trauma...anything is better than nothing. I self-identified as a lab rat in 1977. A lot of people never get to that realization. I did, then as paraquat and mandatory sentencing were just kicking in. This Old Crow is listening.
Welcome Andrew, glad you're here and thanks for the note
You are quite welcome, Doc. Happy, to be of service. Grateful to be alive to do it, even yet. After more than half a century in the maze, it is nice to be able to take a breath outside of it. I do prefer life as an Old Crow to that of a young rat but would not trade the lessons learned in those traps for a trillion bucks. BA, RU New Brunswick , MA, RU Newark.
I'm new to your work but will be subscribing to "Rat Park" as soon as I finish this comment. Love your humble but not shrinking approach to the subject and look forward to reading your insights.
Excited to see what's to come!
I have appreciated your podcast and am excited be part of this. This information and the discussions takes my sobriety to a higher level.
Ed
Thanks Ed! Glad you're here.
Great addition to your excellent book and podcast. Both have played an important role in my slightly “atypical” recovery. 🙏 Would you consider writing about Portugal’s drug strategy - what you’ve witnessed during your time there, thoughts, concerns? Just really curious.
Thank you. So glad the work has been helpful especially with an "atypical" recovery, would love to hear more in the comments as this proceeds. Writing about Portugal... definitely in the works!
I appreciate your contributions to this field and look forward to continuing to follow Rat Park. Your book has been not only a great resource professionally but has helped to alleviate many of my own feelings of judgment and shame in recovery. I'll be subscribing. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Michael, comments like this mean the world to me. I hope you got to listen to my latest podcast episode on shame with Jason Luoma. I look forward to your continued comments!
Complicated, yes. Are there many who hang their hat on unproven or frankly ridiculous methods of treatment. As overdose’s continue, I have a question or two about NarCan. Thank you Dr. Fisher.
So interesting & makes sense the homeless populations in major cities congregate together & create mini camps to have connectivity to others.
I just stumbled into Rat Park and believe me, I am stoked!! I’m firing up the podcast now. I’ll be joining the discussions soon. Thank you!!!
That's great, glad to have you here!
Thank you, Carl, for your podcast with Dr. Ray Baker. I particularly enjoyed his down to earth discussion of topics I am unfamiliar with or know only in passing. He seemed to go out of his way to demystify things so that laymen like me could understand him without hitting the pause button and doing Google searches. I expect Dr. Baker was an exceptional teacher, and I look forward to reading his book.
If I may offer a bit of constructive criticism, I found Dr. Baker’s discussion of AA and his transformative awakening to agnosticism wanting. He seemed to perhaps be constrained by AA’s tradition of anonymity – I don’t think he directly stated that he’s an AA member, but that seems a logical conclusion. Also, I was hoping to hear the experience of someone more like myself; I find my atheism incompatible with AA. Dr. Baker seems to have taken a tack very common for skeptics who join AA, and a tack I took myself decades ago: he apparently underwent enough of a movement towards theism that he can operate comfortably in AA. I and many others joined AA dreading all the God stuff, but out of desperation for both sobriety and inclusion in the AA community we learned to go along to get along. And maybe it saved my life. In the time and place I got sober, the 12 Steppers were the only game in town, so I’m glad I was able to go along. Yet I still feel that my conscience was violated by my local AA’s insistence on a “character flaw” and “spiritual” approach to alcoholism and recovery.
Several years ago I experienced a conversion back to atheism. As a result, I eventually left AA. I’m not comfortable even in secular AA. In fact, I’ve found very little in secular AA that is truly secular. The movement would more accurately be labeled agnostic AA, in my opinion, because most of the secular AA members and groups I’ve met are perfectly comfortable discussing “spirituality.” Some of them go so far as to try to discuss something they call secular spirituality. Now there’s a term that screams indefinability, encourages mushy thinking, and is a raging oxymoron. But I guess (and hope) that’s a discussion for another day.
This sounds great, Carl. Looking forward to reading!
Hey thanks Andy, glad to have you here!
Your nuanced approach to the complexities of addiction and recovery has helped me to work through the reasons for my addiction and my struggles in recovery. Excited that you are now on Substack!
Really looking forward to reading, Carl. As a doctor of Chinese Medicine in recovery (and writing about addiction from that angle), I love learning about the topic from folks who use different languages and lenses.
Welcome! Rat Park is a great name for a newsletter about addiction. I’ve reported on the sober and sober curious scene since 2015, mostly about the role liquid courage plays in our interpersonal relationships.
Needless to say, I am so grateful for your book and your work. I appreciate how you acknowledge that addiction is seemingly everywhere, more than just drugs and alcohol. It’s a behavioral, psychological issue that so many people don’t understand. Looking forward to more of your writing. Welcome to Substack! 🤘🏽📚