– by Maureen Palmer & Mike Pond As Fentanyl overdoses make headlines coast to coast, it’s clear that there is an urgent need for effective, evidence-based treatment. But Fentanyl isn’t the only issue: in Canada, alcohol misuse is a much bigger problem. According to this rehab center in Houston, “approximately… Read more »
Category: Mike Pond
A Journey Into the Soul: Sharing My Personal Ayahuasca Experience
![Ayahausca](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Ayahausca.jpeg)
I was ready for the vomiting. I was not prepared for the yawns. Long, loud, dis-embodied yawns echoed in the jungle darkness, punctuated by tortured moans and retching as some two-dozen of us vomit relentlessly. An epic purge. My ayahausca retreat has begun. As a therapist specializing in problematic substance… Read more »
10 Ways To Improve Addictions Treatment, From Someone Who’s Been There
![wasted_blog](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/wasted_blog-300x100.jpg)
– by Maureen Palmer & Mike Pond As Fentanyl overdoses make headlines coast to coast, it’s clear that there is an urgent need for effective, evidence-based treatment. But Fentanyl isn’t the only issue: in Canada, alcohol misuse is a much bigger problem. According to Healthcare Business Today, “approximately 5 million… Read more »
Embracing Recovery, the Need for Human Connection and CRAFT
![embracing atns image](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/embracing-atns-image-300x100.jpg)
Written by Mike Pond for Recovery.org My name is Mike Pond and I’m a psychotherapist in Vancouver, Canada. I believe I bring a unique understanding and empathy to my clients battling substance use disorders – because I battled one myself, read more here about my recovery journey. From 2005 to 2010,… Read more »
The Fix interviews Michael Pond about ‘Wasted’
![Join Our New Workshop](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/MP11-copy4-300x100.jpg)
We are thrilled and honoured that Michael was interviewed by The Fix. Here is the interview in full: Michael Pond and Writing “Wasted” By Regina Walker “Wasted” is not just an addiction memoir–it’s also an exploration of our outdated approach to treatment. At age 50, Michael Pond was a successful… Read more »
Mike Pond Responds to His Critics in AA
![Mike Pond](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MikeBlogPostFeature-300x100.jpg)
Thanks to the hundreds of you who emailed in response to our film Wasted, the vast majority complimentary. I am humbled and very gratified the film provided help and hope to so many. I also received several harsh and critical emails from some AA members and heard I was the… Read more »
Eric Adams Is Changing the Conversation About Addiction.
![Addiction_Logo_SM](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Addiction_Logo_SM-300x100.jpg)
Today is primary day in New Hampshire. Here’s hoping the citizens of the state vote for a candidate who will stop the insanity of failed policy on addiction. Addiction costs the U.S. some 70 billion, yes that’s billion, dollars every year. The war on drugs has failed. Prisons are overflowing… Read more »
The Cost of Addiction Part 2: The Cost of Mike’s Alcohol Use Disorder
![Mike_s_Addiction_Cost_2 header](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Mike_s_Addiction_Cost_2-header-300x100.png)
As touched on in our previous post, addiction unnecessarily costs taxpayers a lot of money. Mike had to speak at a conference on reducing hospital admissions earlier this year, and for that talk, we tallied what Mike’s trip to rock bottom cost the BC taxpayer. At every stop on his downward… Read more »
Challenging the Language of Addiction
![Michael Pond Psychotherapist](https://addictionthenextstep.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Mike-Pond-Sunset-300x100.jpg)
My name is Michael Pond and I live with an alcohol use disorder. (AUD) That’s what we now call alcoholism in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ““ 5. In psychology and psychiatry, the DSM-5 is our bible. The change in language is in part to address… Read more »