Welcome to “In The Mix” where I share what has piqued my curiosity and interest, heard through the grapevine or landed in my lap each week. A relevant curation of books, articles, websites, events, podcasts and such that might interest you too! I am a voracious & curious reader, explorer of innovation and thought leadership.
This LA Times Article on incentivizing abstinence from meth or other stimulants with target gift cards and positive affirmations caught my attention this week. Steve Shoptaw, a UCLA professor of family medicine who has researched treatments for stimulant use disorder said, “This isn’t just paying people to do what they should do. This is an intervention that actually stimulates the brain to work in different ways so that their goals are met.”
I am ever curious about the brain and the way substances hijack a brain and the pleasure receptors and how different substances have different impact. For instance, for many people who try to quit, meth withdrawal begins with days of “sleeping a lot, eating a lot, drinking a lot of water” before a second phase lasting up to six weeks, in which the sensitivity of dopamine receptors is reset, Shoptaw said. I found that the more I understood about the physiology of addiction, the more understanding and patient I could be with processes and stages of change.
I’ve been reading The Way of Integrity by master life coach Martha Beck, PhD. which was a recent Oprah’s Book Club pick. I wish she’d been schooled in person first language around substance use because her language is off putting when she references people who use drugs. That part aside, the book is compelling. Martha says that a universal truth of our is existence is that we know we are meant to live in peace. Just beginning to believe that truth is a step towards wholeness aka, Integrity. “Integrity is cure for psychological suffering. Period.” The opposite of peace is suffering. Beck lays out a four stage process or framework to bring ourselves into integrity. My favorite part is about the “soul teachers,” I recognized many teachers from her description of these powerful interactions on our soulful journeys. I also enjoy how she uses Dante’s Inferno and the Divine Comedy as a backdrop to the process.
Martha recommends saying “I am meant to live in peace,” like a mantra and our bodies will naturally begin to come into integrity with heart, mind and spirit because peace is our true nature.
I recently watched the Netflix special with Michal Pollan, How To Change Your Mind. He explores the history of psychedelic medicine and its effective treatment of addiction, PTSD, depression and anxiety. I have to tell you I was thunderstruck when he shared that the founder of AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson’s “moment of clarity” actually came during an LSD trip after which he stopped drinking and started AA. Somehow I’d missed that important piece of information. I think its valuable to note that he didn’t “just stop” drinking. That instead he’d been given an evidence based treatment, although those weren’t the circumstances under which he used LSD then his recovery was fueled by creating a community of people around a mutual suffering and coming up with a process of self healing.
Take Good Care of You,
Shelly
I love to share what I find while out in the field or comes recommended from a trusted source. Throughout my experience mothering addiction and recovery and recovering myself, I looked to the innovators, thought leaders, way showers who were grounded in love, kindness and science. If you have something to share with the mothers, please do! You can email me shelly@shellylyoung.com or comment below.