Upon first glance, models of addiction that view drugs and alcohol as the problem can be quite compelling. For instance, it is hard to argue that if there are no methamphetamines, there are no meth addicts. But what about the second and third glances? That is what the Hungarian psychoanalyst, Radó,* contemplated in a 1933 … Read More
By Michael Roeske, PsyD As a psychologist, I have worked and trained with psychotherapists who possess a wide range of training backgrounds and beliefs. With that being said, I am sometimes dismayed at the lack of respect given to those who think differently than them. Not surprisingly, the issue has been most strikingly seen between … Read More
By Michael Roeske, PsyD To an outside observer, the behavior of an opioid addict seems quite bizarre…returning time and again to something that causes so much pain and suffering. Interestingly, the field of psychology has been wrestling with such things since its beginnings. In fact, Freud found our tendency to repeat painful experiences extremely problematic … Read More
Most people travel to Hawaii for pleasure in paradise, our trip to the Big Island was strictly business. It’s a strange thing to hustling from one appointment to the next dressed in business attire when everyone around you is in vacation mode smelling of sunscreen and wearing flip-flops. Our previous visits to Hawaii mostly focused … Read More
One of the most powerful lessons of recovery is discovering that once you’re on the right path, there’s no place you can’t go. In most cases, that lesson is a metaphor. But one Bayside Marin alumnus took the concept a bit more literally. Darren D., who completed treatment at Bayside Marin more than a decade … Read More
Recently, when I was consulting with someone on a particularly difficult case, he simply said, “You know, the research says…” Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. Of course, most of the time comments about what “research says” are well-meaning and potentially useful. But every time it happens, or someone bandies about the phrase, “empirically supported treatment,” I … Read More
