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The Addiction Psychologist

Samuel Acuff and Noah Emery

Drs. Noah Emery and Samuel Acuff interview researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in the field of addiction psychology with the hopes of enhancing recovery. Official podcast of the Society for Addiction Psychology.

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22 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 11 min
English

Episodes 22

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September 14 · 1 hr 6 min
Drs. Jennifer Merrill and Mary Beth Miller - Alcohol-induced Blackouts
In this episode, Drs. Jennifer Merrill and Mary Beth Miller discuss the state of the science of alcohol-induced blackouts: what they are, how they occur, and what can we do to prevent them. Dr. Jennifer Merrill is a Professor in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences within the School of Public Health at Brown University. Learn more about Dr. Merrill's work ⁠here⁠. Dr. Mary Beth Miller is the Millsap Distinguished Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry & Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri. Learn more about Dr. Miller's work here.
August 17 · 1 hr 6 min
Dr. Eric Pedersen - Mobile Interventions for Veterans
Veterans in the United States have higher rates of mental health concerns and substance use compared to the general population, yet tend to seek care at lower rates. How can we provide care to people in need outside of the therapy room or the hospital? Dr. Eric Pedersen discusses his work developing mobile interventions to fill a critical gap in care for veterans. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of Social Behavioral Research at the Institute of Addiction Science in the Keck School of Medicine at USC. You can find out more about his research here.
July 13 · 1 hr 11 min
Dr. David Epstein - Let's agree to agree
Theories of addiction abound: various choice models and brain disease models, all trying to explain why people use substances in ways that appear to harm them. Theories are often pitted against one another. But does this always have to be the case? In this episode, Dr. David Epstein discusses problems that arise from theories using their own definitions for addiction, and ways in which considering various etiological pathways may help us better understand and treat the heterogenous presentations of addictive behavior. Dr. Epstein also enlightens us with a conversation about the association between substance use and boredom. Dr. David Epstein is the Chief of the Real-World Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment Section at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program. Find out more about his work here.
June 29 · 1 hr 19 min
Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal - Barriers in Access to Healthcare and Harm Reduction Services
Healthcare in the United States can be exceptional—that is, if you have enough resources. What if our systems worked to support people with fewer resources to get the help they needed? Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal discusses systemic barriers impeding access to harm reduction and just how much policy influences health outcomes. Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of of the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, and the Flora L. Thornton Chair in Preventive Medicine, at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Find out more about his work here.
S1 · E69
March 11 · 1 hr 6 min
Dr. Joseph Schacht - Can We Leverage GLP-1s for Substance Use Disorder?
GLP-1s have rapidly increased in popularity, Due to their seemingly remarkable ability to facilitate weight loss. These findings have led to increased interest in understanding whether GLP-1s might be useful for changing other behaviors, such as as substance use. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Schacht discusses the science behind GLP-1 medications and their potential as treatments for substance use disorders, including recent research, mechanisms, and future directions. Dr. Joseph Schacht is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, and Treatment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz. Learn more about his work here.
S1 · E68
February 9 · 59 min
Dr. Andrea King - Subjective and Biphasic Effects of Alcohol
In this episode of the Addiction Psychologist Podcast, Dr. Andrea King discusses her extensive research on subjective effects of alcohol and their implications for addiction. The conversation covers her journey in addiction research, the Chicago Social Drinking Project, and the importance of understanding individual differences in alcohol response. Dr. King is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago and the Director of the Clinical Addictions Research Laboratory. Learn more about her work here. Chapters 01:07 - Dr. Andrea King's Journey in Addiction Research 09:52 - Understanding Subjective Effects of Alcohol 18:07 - The Chicago Social Drinking Project Overview 25:41 - Longitudinal Findings on Alcohol Sensitivity 35:30 - The Complexity of Alcohol Use and Recovery 49:21 - Future Directions in Alcohol Research 52:31 - Take Home Messages for Recovery and Practice
S1 · E67
January 6 · 1 hr 51 min
Dr. Hanna Pickard - What would you do alone in a cage with nothing but cocaine?
What would you do alone in a cage with nothing but cocaine? These are the precise experimental arrangements in animal models that served as the foundation for popular models framing addiction as a compulsive brain disease. Yet, follow up studies have demonstrated that, under conditions with alternatives or social connection, rats (and humans) respond differently. In her new book, What would you do alone in a cage with nothing but cocaine, the addiction philosopher Dr. Hanna Pickard artfully integrates philosophy and science to question some of our most prominent models basic assumptions, and offers a new paradigm that responds to the question that is central to the puzzle of addiction: Why do people continue to use drugs despite evident and severe costs that count profoundly against their own good? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Pickard about her new book and its implication for science and practice. Dr. Pickard is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, jointly appointed in the Department of Philosophy and the Berman Institute of Bioethics and secondarily appointed in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, in addition to a Krieger-Eisenhower Professor, at Johns Hopkins University. Learn more about her work here. You can purchase her new book, which is released on January 6, 2026, here.
S1 · E66
Nov 3, 2025 · 1 hr 20 min
Drs. Jalie Tucker & Katie Witkiewitz - A Dynamic Behavioral Ecological Model of Recovery
How does the environment impact a person's recovery journey over time? In this episode, Drs. Jalie Tucker and Katie Witkiewitz discuss their recently articulated dynamic behavioral ecological model of recovery, with a bonus discussion about shallow lakes! Dr. Jalie Tucker is the Founding Director of the Center for Behavioral Economic Health Research and the Mary F. Lane Endowed Professor in the Department of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida. Dr. Katie Witkiewitz is the Director of the Center on Alcohol, Substance use, and Addictions (CASAA) and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico.
S1 · E65
Oct 13, 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Professor John Holmes - Minimum Unit Pricing
What happens when a government sets the minimum price for alcohol? In this episode with Professor John Holmes, we unpack the science behind the minimum unit pricing policy, including the model working conducted by Professor Holmes and members of his team. We then find out how minimum unit pricing was implemented in Scotland and whether (and for whom) it impacted drinking. Professor Holmes is a Professor of Alcohol Policy in the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR) at the University of Sheffield. He is also the Director of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group, the Lead Director of the Wellcome Doctoral Training Centre in Public Health Economics and Decision Science, and the Co-Director of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions. Find out more about his work, and the work of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group, here.
S1 · E64
Sep 8, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Dr. David Rudd - Suicide and Substance Use
Death by suicide has increased in recent decades, propelling it to the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Substance use is common among people at risk for suicide and is often involved during suicide attempts. In this episode, Dr. David Rudd talks with us about suicide, it's overlap with substance use, and current clinical best practice for managing suicidal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Dr. Rudd is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, the Director of the Rudd Institute for Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention, and President Emeritus at The University of Memphis.
S1 · E63
Aug 11, 2025 · 59 min
Dr. Molly Bowdring - The Emerging Trend of Non-alcoholic Beverages
Over the last decade, more and more people seem to be rethinking their drinking. This is in part evident by the recent surge in popularity of non-alcoholic beverages, or beverages that emulate the characteristics of alcoholic beverages but that have zero or very low alcohol content. How many people drinking non-alcoholic beverages? Are these helpful for people trying to reduce alcohol use? Are they harmful? How can science guide policy to help maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of non-alcoholic beverages? In this episode, Dr. Molly Bowdring generously answers our questions and discusses the current science on non-alcoholic beverages, what we still need to know, and how policy might effect any potential harms or benefits to public health. Dr. Molly Bowdring is an Instructor in the Stanford Prevention Research Center and practicing psychologist in the Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Jul 14, 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
Dr. Sudie Back - Prolonged Exposure for Substance Use Disorder and PTSD
In many clinical contexts, substance use disorder is often treated separately from posttraumatic stress disorder. Yet, these conditions commonly co-occur and are reciprocally determinant, meaning that the outcomes of a course of treatment for either condition might depend upon treating the other. On this episode, Dr. Sudie Back talks about the importance of treating co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder simultaneously, and the prolonged exposure treatment, COPE, she developed with her colleagues to manage both disorders. Dr. Sudie Back is a professor, and the director of the NIH-sponsored DART research training program, in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is also a psychologist at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Hospital.
S1 · E65
Mar 31, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
Dr. Josh Grubbs - Behavioral Addictions
Behavioral addictions have increased in importance over the past few decades and are perhaps more relevant than ever with the legalization of sports betting across America. However, there is still debate about whether behavioral addictions exist. While some disordered behavior, such as gambling and gaming disorder, have recently received more widespread recognition (as demonstrated by inclusion or consideration in the DSM-5), others, such as sex or food-related addiction, remain controversial. What should we consider when categorizing behaviors as addictions, and how might categorizations impact science and practice? Dr. Josh Grubbs joins us to discuss the journey and complexities of behavioral addictions, whether they are similar or different from substance addictions, and how we might consider treating such conditions moving forward. Dr. Grubbs is an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico and an investigator at the Center on Alcohol, Substance use, and Addictions (CASAA), where he studies compulsive sexual behavior disorder, gambling disorder, and personality characteristics. Find out more about his work here.
S1 · E60
Mar 17, 2025 · 1 hr 26 min
Dr. Alexis Kuerbis - Substance Use and Aging
The world population is aging. In the United States alone, the population of older adults 65 and up is projected to nearlydouble by 2060, from 49 million in 2016 to 95 million people. This historic change in population demographics will require shifts in public health responses. In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Alexis Kuerbis about how older adults use substances, and the unique factors to consider when working with aging populations. Dr. Alexis Kuerbis is a Social Worker and Professor in the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in the City University of New York and The Graduate Center at CUNY. Dr. Kuerbis also maintains a private practice in New York City. Learn more about her work here.
S1 · E59
Mar 10, 2025 · 13 min
Policy Brief: Dr. Lara Coughlin on SAMHSA Contingency Management Incentive Changes
On this Addiction Psychologist segment, we talk to experts about new policy developments to get a better understanding of the implications for our work, our clients, and our personal lives. On this episode, we talk with Dr. Lara Coughlin about the science of contingency management, recent changes in incentive allowance for contingency management, and how these changes might impact practice. Dr. Lara Coughlin is an assistant professor in the University of Michigan Addiction Center and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School, as well as the Director of the CHOICE lab, the Co-director of the Michigan Innovations in Addiction Care through Research and Education Program and the Faculty Lead of Mental Health Equity at the University of Michigan Eisenburg Family Depression Center. Learn more about contingency management here, and about the changes to allowable incentives here.
Feb 24, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
Dr. Kirsten Smith - What has been happening in the world of Kratom?
Dr. Kirsten Smith joined us in June 2022 for a wonderful discussion about Kratom. In this episode, she updates us on the volatile changes that have occurred since our last discussion. Dr. Kirsten Smith is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University. If you haven't heard the first episode, make sure to have a listen to get caught up to speed on Kratom!
S1 · E57
Dec 9, 2024 · 1 hr 8 min
Dr. Lindsay Squeglia - The Developing Adolescent Brain and Substance Use
Although risk of substance use disorder exists for anyone that uses substances, study after study shows that early initiation of substance use in adolescence is a strong predictor of later substance-related problems and is associated with higher risk . What is going on in the brain during adolescence, and how do substances affect it? Dr. Lindsay Squeglia discusses the development of the brain during adolescence and the risks of substance use during adolescence, and attempts to answer our questions about the chicken or the egg. Dr. Squeglia also talks about her efforts to create evidence-based psychoeducation programs about substance use for adolescents and programs to help teens get involved in science. Dr. Lindsay Squeglia is a Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, and a Co-Director of the MUSC Youth Collaborative. Find out more about her work here.
S1 · E56
Nov 11, 2024 · 1 hr 15 min
Dr. Jeremiah Weinstock - Gambling Disorder
Gambling continues to grow in popularity in the United States, particularly with the introduction of sport betting. Should we be concerned? Dr. Jeremiah Weinstock joins us to discuss prevalence of gambling disorder, differences between gambling and substance use disorders, and the potential implications o rapidly rising rates of gambling in the United States. Dr. Weinstock is a Professor and the Department Chair in the Department of Psychology at Saint Louis University. You can learn more about his work here.
S1 · E55
Oct 7, 2024 · 1 hr 23 min
Dr. Michael Sayette - Alcohol and the Social Context
Alcohol is often consumed around others: at bars or clubs, social events, college parties, or dinner with friends. How does alcohol influence social connection, and vis-a-versa? Why are they so seemingly interconnected? In this episode, Dr. Michael Sayette discusses his research on alcohol's relationship with the social context and the clinical importance of understanding how the acute effects of alcohol influence social connection. Dr. Sayette is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. You can learn more about his work here.
S1 · E54
Sep 9, 2024 · 1 hr 2 min
Dr. Tammy Chung - Social Determinants of Health and Racial Disparities
Substance use often initiates in adolescence, and an earlier age of first use is associated with a higher likelihood of lifetime problems. But, do risky behaviors carry the same risks for everybody? Dr. Tammy Chung discusses social determinants of health and racial health disparities in young people and highlights how factors in our society create disparities, resulting in more risk from substance use and other health behaviors for people in some groups than others. Dr. Tammy Chung is the Director of the Center for Population Behavioral Health and a Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers University. Find out more about her work here.

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