Writings on Substance Use and the Mind

Clinical synopses and reflections on the problematic states that accompany substance use — companion material to the PSSU assessment. Read online, or download the original documents.

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Reflection

Reflections on Resentment

A personal essay on the corrosive nature of resentment, the practice of forgiveness, and the clinical encounters that shaped the resentment scale on the PSSU.

7 min readRead →

Personality

The Isolative (Schizoid) Substance User

Introversion, withdrawnness, and loss of affect: how the schizoid dilemma drives substance use as a compromise between isolation and feared enslavement.

9 min readRead →

Mood

Recognition and Management of Bipolar II Depression

Sorting bipolar II depression from complex PTSD, ADHD, borderline, and narcissistic presentations in opioid-dependent persons — with concrete steps for inquiry and referral.

3 min readRead →

Personality

Treatment of Borderline States in Substance Users

Comorbidity data, diagnostic criteria, and a mentalization-focused approach to treating the borderline substance user.

16 min readRead →