The Addiction Psychologist

Samuel Acuff and Noah Emery
  • 4.5 (39)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

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.

  1. Dr. Hanna Pickard - What would you do alone in a cage with nothing but cocaine?

    JAN 6

    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.

    1h 52m
  2. Drs. Jalie Tucker & Katie Witkiewitz - A Dynamic Behavioral Ecological Model of Recovery

    11/03/2025

    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.

    1h 20m
  3. Professor John Holmes - Minimum Unit Pricing

    10/13/2025

    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.

    1h 12m
  4. Dr. David Rudd - Suicide and Substance Use

    09/08/2025

    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.

    1h 19m
  5. Dr. Molly Bowdring - The Emerging Trend of Non-alcoholic Beverages

    08/11/2025

    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.

    59 min
  6. Dr. Sudie Back - Prolonged Exposure for Substance Use Disorder and PTSD

    07/14/2025

    Dr. Sudie Back - Prolonged Exposure for Substance Use Disorder and PTSD

    In many clinical contexts, substance use disorder is oftentreated 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 theother. 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.

    1h 17m
  7. Dr. Josh Grubbs - Behavioral Addictions

    03/31/2025

    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.

    1h 4m

  8. 03/17/2025

    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.

    1h 26m
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4.5
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Samuel Acuff and Noah Emery
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    69
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Samuel Acuff and Noah Emery
  • Show Website
    The Addiction Psychologist

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