Podcast Interview: Dr. Kurter on "The Changing Face of Addiction Treatment"

Dr. Kurter was happy to join the Avoiding Addiction Affliction podcast, produced by The Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition. Their mission is to support networking, encourage education, explore gaps, and realize solutions to improve treatment and reduce alcohol and other drug abuse in our community with a primary focus on families.

There isn’t just one way to treat opioid dependency. Dr. Selahattin Kurter discusses harm reduction, medication for addiction treatment, and his clinic’s work with clients with substance use disorders. The key to success is treating all of the issues concurrently and using all of the tools available. Selahattin Kurter, MD, is the Executive Director of West Grove Clinic. Dr. Kurter is one of Milwaukee's leading experts in the field of Addiction Medicine. He carries a dual board certification in Addiction Medicine as well as Psychiatry and Neurology and has extensive experience working with clients with substance use issues.

LISTEN BELOW FOR APPLE & SPOTIFY

Apple Podcast https://apple.co/3wq81nP

Spotify Podcast https://spoti.fi/3wlVxNZ

Mindfulness & Addiction

Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction in his TED Talk. He explains the processes involved in habit formation and proposes a profound approach to removing the connection between thought and behavior through the use of mindfulness. Although Brewer utilizes smoking and eating as examples during his talk, the underlying mindfulness process is readily adaptable to all forms of addiction. Watch below!

Thomas N. Pfister, B.S.

Creating Boundaries

For family members, setting boundaries with a loved one who struggles with an addiction may be difficult at times. Dr. Fran Simone Ph.D. discusses the difference between setting boundaries versus building walls with family members. Dr. Simone gives scenarios that demonstrate how difficult setting boundaries can be for family members and how difficult it is to remain consistent with those boundaries. She even shares examples from her own life during a time when she had trouble setting boundaries with her adult child who had been in and out of recovery. At the conclusion of this article, Dr. Simone encourages us to continue to be flexible and to remain open. If you find it difficult to set boundaries, then you’re not alone and hopefully the examples offered in this article will help. Here’s to new discoveries!

Read the article here. 

Sara Saunders, SAC-IT

Hari's Journey in Addiction

In the Ted Talk below, Johann Hari shares his personal journey, one that took him around the world, where he surveyed novel perspectives of factors that can influence the development of addiction, and provides examples of how addiction can be treated. Hari discusses the need for humans to bond and the way in which this can lead to the development of addiction. He also offers alternative means for treating addiction, through compassion, love, and understanding. 

Listen to Hari speak here.

Tom Pfister, Graduate Intern

Relapse & Momentary Perspectives

There are two thoughts often preceding a relapse - it's a special occasion or this is the last time. Both sentiments come from what Dr. Shahram Heshmat calls a "momentary perspective."  This perspective favors immediate gratification over the long term satisfaction that comes from a "big picture perspective." The major takeaway is realizing that while one relapse may not cause a great deal of harm there will absolutely be damage from the repeated pattern.

Read more here. 

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