Our understanding of and treatment for substance use disorder has evolved over the past half century. Moral failing and weakness of will were where we started. Imprisonment, punishment, and public humiliation were supposed to cure craving. Blood letting is a comparable example of the cure being worse than the disease.
“Just say no way there is anything more important than my communicating my unequivocal, unconditional positive regard and connection to my child“ is, admittedly, less concise, but the 40-year old slogan may benefit from updating. Just shy of 70,000 drug related deaths last year is a familiar figure to my
That we are a social species is not news. Indeed, the bunch of us who were plodding along together at Mile 11 the other day were beyond pleased to see a cadre of running buddies who had come out to cheer for us and 20,000 of our closest friends. It’s
Adolescence is typically characterized by magical thinking. “I can stay up until two in the morning playing Fortnite and still be present and attentive for my 9 o’clock pre-calculus class.“ Whereas responsible adults, those of the parenting persuasion in particular, know better. Grown-ups, having some familiarity with the past, acknowledge
My colleague, Clark, has a residual skill left over from his years of using alcohol. Clean and sober for 29 years, he can still walk into any bar in any city and by the time his eyes have adjusted to the dim light, he can point to which people are
I like the gym because there are people who look like me. Some of us could lose a few pounds. Many of us require some gentle motivation. None of us is able to lift as much as we did decades ago. Wanna know who will be standing on the podium
That men of a certain age require occasional unsavory medical procedures is old news. Old news for men of a certain age certainly. “Let me tell you about my operation” is anathema for good reason. Operations are similar to digestive systems. Everybody has one; nobody wants to hear about yours.
“You have no idea how I’ve suffered. My son was the light of my eyes. He won every award in elementary school. I could show him off anywhere. He was such a pleasure. I was proud of his accomplishments. But now, he is lost to me. Lost. He is disrespectful,
The second book of the Bible can be summarized by the word “go!” If there had been enough time to use a second word, the recap could be extended to “go now!” Folks throughput history have done well to attend to this succinct message: Cuba, 1959; Munich, 1932; Cambodia, 1970
Many electrons have been spilled inveigling whether or not the dangers to our beloved children are unprecedented in this generation. Surely, some stumbling forward progress has been achieved. Half a century ago dial-up modems were the rage and hip replacements were science fiction. “When I was a kid” medicine, communication,
Copyright © David Altshuler 1980 – 2022 | Miami, FL • Charlotte, NC | (305) 978-8917 | david@davidaltshuler.com
