329: Dr. Melissa Weimer on Addiction Medicine

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an
interview with Dr. Melissa Weimer. She has worked at local,
state, and national levels to improve access to evidence-based
treatments for patients with substance use disorder. In addition
to her role treating patients, she is an experienced educator who
teaches health care students and professionals in order to
increase the addiction medicine workforce. In our interview we
talk about the disease model for addiction, how substance use
affects neurobiology, and current medical treatments for a
variety of substance use disorders. For more information on
Melissa visit her profile at the Yale School of Medicine, where
she is the Medical Director of the Yale Addiction Medicine
Consult Service.


 


This interview was recorded at the end of February 2020 before
COVID hit the United States. As the pandemic continues to spread
tremendous resources have been rightfully allocated to fight the
virus. In contrast, the stigma surrounding addiction can be seen
in the ways funding is applied to treat the disease. Instead of
funding treatment, resources are often driven to policing and
criminalizing the individuals suffering from the disease. This
war on drugs approach is not effective and has contributed to
over 750,000 drug overdose deaths since 1999 in the United States
alone. To find out more about medical treatments for substance
use disorders visit Dr. Weimer’s profile at the Yale School of
Medicine.


 


On today’s AMACO community cork board we have the Color Network,
a group dedicated to aid in the advancement of people of color in
the ceramic arts. Their aim is to assist artists develop,
network, and create dialogue, while maintaining a place for
resources and mentorship. For more information visit
www.thecolornetwork.org or find them on IG at @thecolornetwork.


 


Ceramic Materials Workshop is a proud sponsor of the Tales of a
Red Clay Rambler. Ceramic Materials Workshop is a place online to
learn about how materials really work. They’ve been teaching
about glazes at the most prestigious ceramic universities for
years, and now offer online classes that are open to everyone
around the world. Class sessions begin every January, April, July
and October 1st, or you can try their new self-guided online
workshop the Middle Glazes: The Story of Mid Temperature Glazes
available now. Use the coupon code REDCLAY, all one word, for 25%
off the Middle Glazes for a limited time. Find out more and sign
up at www.ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com.