Overcoming Stigma: Treating Opioid Addiction with Compassion

Suboxone will protect an individual from a fentanyl overdose, but the one thing that will keep them in recovery is love.

Today on the show we’re joined by Dr. Schuyler Geller, who has an extensive background in international teaching, patient care, and health care leadership. Previously a Medication Assisted Recovery Physician, and currently a Hospitalist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, his humanitarian spirit shines bright in this episode. Together we delve into the need for comprehensive approaches, including medication-assisted treatment and harm reduction strategies, to save lives and support recovery. Dr. Geller highlights the importance of understanding addiction as a chronic relapsing brain disease and emphasizes the significance of immediate intervention and treatment due to the high risk of relapse and mortality associated with opioid use.

Join us as we discuss: Addiction as a chronic relapsing brain disease vs. deviant criminal behavior How physical and emotional abuse impacts the growing brain, and can ultimately lead to substance addiction — all beginning in the womb The critical role of buprenorphine in medication-assisted treatment The need to combat the stigma associated with harm reduction approaches Resilience as the key to reducing opioid deaths To make sure you never miss an episode of The Opioid Matrix, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the website, or your favorite podcast player.

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