The Addiction Psychologist

In this episode, Drs. Jennifer Merrill and Mary Beth Miller discuss the state of the science of alcohol-induced blackouts: what they are, how they occur, and what can we do to prevent them. Dr. Jennifer Merrill is a Professor in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences within the School of Public Health at Brown University. Learn more about Dr. Merrill's work ⁠here⁠. Dr. Mary Beth Miller is the Millsap Distinguished Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry & Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri. Learn more about Dr. Miller's work here.

Veterans in the United States have higher rates of mental health concerns and substance use compared to the general population, yet tend to seek care at lower rates. How can we provide care to people in need outside of the therapy room or the hospital? Dr. Eric Pedersen discusses his work developing mobile interventions to fill a critical gap in care for veterans. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of Social Behavioral Research at the Institute of Addiction Science in the Keck School of Medicine at USC.  You can find out more about his research here.

Theories of addiction abound: various choice models and brain disease models, all trying to explain why people use substances in ways that appear to harm them. Theories are often pitted against one another. But does this always have to be the case? In this episode, Dr. David Epstein discusses problems that arise from theories using their own definitions for addiction, and ways in which considering various etiological pathways may help us better understand and treat the heterogenous presentations of addictive behavior. Dr. Epstein also enlightens us with a conversation about the association between substance use and boredom. Dr. David Epstein is the Chief of the Real-World Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment Section at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program. Find out more about his work here.

Healthcare in the United States can be exceptional—that is, if you have enough resources. What if our systems worked to support people with fewer resources to get the help they needed? Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal discusses systemic barriers impeding access to harm reduction and just how much policy influences health outcomes. Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of of the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, and the Flora L. Thornton Chair in Preventive Medicine, at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Find out more about his work here.

GLP-1s have rapidly increased in popularity, Due to their seemingly remarkable ability to facilitate weight loss. These findings have led to increased interest in understanding whether GLP-1s might be useful for changing other behaviors, such as as substance use. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Schacht discusses the science behind GLP-1 medications and their potential as treatments for substance use disorders, including recent research, mechanisms, and future directions. Dr. Joseph Schacht is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, and Treatment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz. Learn more about his work here.