Shows
The Alcohol 'Problem' PodcastNon-abstinent recovery: examining drinking reductions for public health with Prof Katie WitkiewitzSend us a textIn this episode we talk to Prof Katie Witkiewitz about non-abstinent recovery and the role of drinking reductions in reducing alcohol-related harm. We discuss this from both a public health perspective, and the role of abstinence or drinking reduction goals in the context of treatment and recovery. Professor Katie Witkiewitz is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions at the University of New Mexico. Professor Witkiewitz is also a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked extensively on the development, evaluation, and i...
2024-08-0148 min
Addictions EditedDesk rejection with Katie WitkiewitzIn this episode Dr Casy Calver talks to Dr Katie Witkiewitz. Dr Witkiewitz talks about her experience as an editor and specifically about desk rejection - sometimes called reject without review. She talks about the many reasons that articles are rejected without going to peer-review. These can include there being too many similar studies already in the journal, page limits and articles being outside the scope of the journal. There are also avoidable issues of quality. Dr Witkiewitz then gives her top tips for how best to avoid (and cope with) desk rejection."You know...
2024-03-1921 min
The Addiction PsychologistDr. Katie Witkiewitz - Mindfulness-based Relapse PreventionMany with substance use disorders make recovery attempts, whether through abstinence or reduction goals. However, some level of return to previous levels of use are relatively common, and treatments developed over the past four decades have typically included elements focused on relapse prevention. However, this was not always the case. Dr. Katie Witkiewitz discusses the history of relapse prevention and her work in the space of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. She also discusses recent conversations about the phrase "relapse": what does it mean, and how is it captured in scientific studies? Dr. Witkiewitz is the Director of the Center on...
2024-02-141h 24
Aspen Ideas to GoThe Sober Curiosity MovementFor adults, the pressure to drink at social engagements, work events, restaurants or almost anywhere outside the home can feel constant. Recent research has found that “no amount or kind of alcohol is good for your health,” and a wide variety of health problems can be linked to drinking. The growing “sober curious” movement offers people a way to think about cutting down on alcohol consumption at their own pace and in their own way, without the stigma that sometimes comes with sobriety. Quality non-alcoholic alternatives are more available than ever before, and sober bars and gathering spaces have popped u...
2023-12-0653 min
It's (Probably) Not Rocket ScienceWhat is a substance use disorder and what treatments are available?Substance use disorders are complicated. This episode includes discussions on factors that contribute to substance use, research on treatments, how substance use impacts the brain, and how we can all help reduce the stigma around this topic by talking about it more openly. The episode features Dr. Doug Ziedonis, CEO of The University of New Mexico Health System, and Dr. Katie Witkiewitz, a clinical psychologist and Director of the UNM Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addiction.
Resources for anyone interested in finding support for substance use:
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2023-10-1047 min
Current Directions in Psychological Science PodcastEverybody Hurts: Intersecting and Colliding Epidemics and the Need for Integrated Behavioral Treatment of Chronic Pain and Substance UseChronic pain and substance use disorders (SUDs) are common and debilitating, and they often persist over the longer term. Each represents a significant health problem: It’s estimated that a substantial proportion of the adult population has chronic pain or an SUD, and their co-occurrence is increasing. Research is unraveling the mechanisms of chronic pain and substance use, as well as their co-occurrence; among other things, integrated behavioral treatment options based on acceptance- and mindfulness-based approaches are increasingly being developed and tested; government agencies are devoting more funds and resources to research on chronic pain and SUD; and there ha...
2023-08-1637 min
Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik FisherWhat is recovery? With Dr. Katie Witkiewitz Six percent of American adults say they are “in recovery” from a problem with alcohol or other drugs, but it’s not always clear exactly what that means. Even among researchers who study the concept, the definition of “recovery” is far from settled: does it require abstinence? does it necessarily involve lofty concepts like spirituality and citizenship? is the main point the absence of problems, or is there more to it than that?Dr. Katie Witkiewitz is a psychology researcher who, for many years, shied away from studying recovery in her academic work. Recently, however, her work on the patt...
2021-08-261h 01
The Addiction PsychologistDr. Katie Witkiewitz - Non-abstinent RecoveryMost definitions of recovery from addiction require abstinence from the problem substance. Dr. Katie Witkiewitz discusses the limitations of abstinence-based models of recovery and describe why non-abstinent models may have a positive public health impact. Namely, Katie's research suggests that many people regain functioning in interpersonal, occupational, and health domains without achieving full abstinence, and that these definitions actually prevent people from seeking treatment. Katie outlines the benefits of incorporating non-abstinent recovery options alongside the dominant abstinent model, and also shares NIAAA's preliminary definition of recovery from alcohol. Dr. Katie Witkiewitz is the Regent's Professor in the Department of P...
2020-10-121h 14
Speaking of PsychologySober Curious? with Katie Witkiewitz, PhDDrinking is ubiquitous in American culture today. It’s hard to go out and not see people imbibing. In the midst of all this booze, there is a burgeoning movement in the opposite direction: Sobriety is having a moment in the spotlight. For the sober-curious crowd, this can mean taking a break from alcohol for a set period or it can mean quitting altogether. Either way, according to addiction researcher and psychologist Katie Witkiewitz, PhD, stopping drinking even for a short period can be beneficial because it allows us time to explore our relationship with alcohol with a...
2020-02-2642 min
Pain Science EducationEpisode 146 | Karlyn Edwards, MS: The Role Of Self-Compassion In The Treatment Of Chronic PainOn this episode, we’re talking about the relation of self-compassion to functioning among adults with chronic pain. Our expert guest is Karlyn Edwards. She is a clinical psychology graduate student at the University of New Mexico working with Dr. Kevin Vowles and Katie Witkiewitz. She studies important psychological factors that impact chronic pain as well as psychological interventions that can improve the lives of those living with chronic pain. She also studies how opioid and other substance misuse issues affect chronic pain, specifically how pain impacts medication treatment for those living with co-occurring opioid use and chronic pain. She...
2019-08-1526 min
Dr. Joe Tatta | The Healing Pain PodcastEpisode 146 | Karlyn Edwards, MS: The Role Of Self-Compassion In The Treatment Of Chronic PainOn this episode, we’re talking about the relation of self-compassion to functioning among adults with chronic pain. Our expert guest is Karlyn Edwards. She is a clinical psychology graduate student at the University of New Mexico working with Dr. Kevin Vowles and Katie Witkiewitz. She studies important psychological factors that impact chronic pain as well as psychological interventions that can improve the lives of those living with chronic pain. She also studies how opioid and other substance misuse issues affect chronic pain, specifically how pain impacts medication treatment for those living with co-occurring opioid use and chronic pain. She...
2019-08-1526 min
Replacement Therapy | Relapse PreventionOur first guest is Sharon Stancliff MD, medical director for the harm reduction coalition, who will discuss opiate replacement therapy using methadone or buprenorphine and overdose prevention using naloxone (narcan). Our second guest is Katie Witkiewitz PhD who will discuss her work with relapse prevention. Stanton Peele will join us to help close the show.
2011-05-061h 01