September/October 2019

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Editor's Note

Rich Simon

The dimensions of the opioid epidemic are staggering, and the national conversation around drug abuse has begun to change. Today, more and more voices are arguing that compassion and treatment might be a more effective approach than judgment and punishment.

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An industrial landscape

A Bridge to Recovery

A Grassroots Approach to the Opioid Crisis

Chris Lyford

Years into the opioid epidemic, a journalist travels to the hardest-hit state to get an up-close look at addiction treatment and the “radically demedicalized” approach one clinic says can make all the difference. Read More
A headshot of a woman

Fighting the Epidemic

An Interview with the Author of Dopesick

Rich Simon

An interview with Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, on solution-oriented journalism and creative ways of confronting the opioid crisis. Read More
A syringe and pills

The Challenge of Harm Reduction

Changing Attitudes Toward Addiction Treatment

Andrew Tatarsky

Until they’ve done the challenging and sometimes painful work in therapy, many people can’t even begin to imagine curtailing their drug use. For them, therapy is a before, not an after; and their engagement in therapy, rather than their abstinence, is the primary goal of treatment. Read More
A woman with a pot leaf shirt

High Times in Therapy

Are We Ready to Talk Pot?

Lauren Dockett

Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized medicinal or recreational marijuana, or both. But sizeable protests against legalization are emerging, often aided or helmed by psychiatrists concerned by the drug’s potential effects on young people. Read More

Extra Feature

An illustration of a pill on a couch

Resurrecting Therapy

Putting Big Pharma on the Couch

Eric Kuelker

In 1986, people being treated for depression were twice as likely to be in therapy as to be taking pills. Now, for every person in therapy, there are four times as many taking pills for depression. Isn’t it time we stage our comeback? Read More

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