After almost 15 years as a model client in a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, I performed a medically supervised withdrawal from methadone maintenance therapy nine months ago. Although the “acute” phase of detoxifying from the drug was relatively easy and took a couple of weeks to accomplish, I was completely unprepared for what came next and has lasted through today. I was tormented by numerous challenges after completing MAT: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS), resurgence of long dormant Bipolar 2 symptoms, and a new and profound psychological and physical response to repetitive traumatic events that I had experienced.
The Center for Social Innovation will host the Dawn Jahn Moses memorial lecture on June 30th about the intersection of intimate partner violence, child well-being, and resilience with human rights activist, William Kellibrew, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department Children and Families, Linda Spears, Carmela DeCandia, Psy.D., faculty at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Institute of Health Professions, and Rachel Latta, Ph.D., Director of Trauma and Violence Prevention at the Center for Social Innovation.
In the wake of the terrorist attack on the Emanuel church in Charleston, I find myself feeling overwhelmed with sadness, anger, and mostly, hopelessness about how to move forward. Perhaps my deepest concern is that nothing will change--that we will feel sadness, and then, we will move on with no societal response, and no movement toward change. As we did with Newtown. As we did with Columbine. Of course, we will not all move forward in the same way. For people of color, the reminder that even a religious building is not a safe sanctuary will have lasting and potentially devastating effects.
