We're Out of Time
We're Out of Time

What We're Still Getting Wrong About Addiction | Dr. Jonathan Avery

August 18, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

What We're Still Getting Wrong About Addiction

Dr. Jonathan Avery, vice chair for addiction psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and medical director of the NBA's anti-drug program, entered the field because people told him not to. "Everyone's like, don't go into it. It's really not where medicine's at. There's not much we can do for these folks," he recalls. "And I knew that wasn't true." That early resistance shaped his career-long focus on stigma—the shame that keeps people from telling their stories and getting help.

Why Stigma Persists—Even Among Doctors

Addiction carries a moral judgment that other illnesses don't. Avery cites a recent survey on the opioid epidemic: 40 to 50 percent of people said they wouldn't want to live next to someone with an opioid use disorder. "There is this real sense that these are people to be afraid of, that it's a moral failing," he says.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Introduction & The Real Epidemic Behind Addiction** - Dr. Avery sets up the core argument: the "trauma epidemic" drives substance use, and combating stigma starts with hearing people's stories.
  • 2 (01:13) **Personal Message & Guest Introduction** - Host delivers a personal plea and introduces Dr. Jonathan Avery, a leading addiction psychiatrist.
  • 3 (03:06) **Why Addiction Psychiatry?** - Dr. Avery explains his motivation to enter a field others told him to avoid.
  • 4 (06:10) **The Language Debate: "Addict" vs. "Substance Use Disorder"** - A direct challenge from the host on whether clinical language obscures the reality of addiction.
  • 5 (09:37) **Thriving with Addiction: A New Roadmap** - Dr. Avery explains the philosophy behind his upcoming book, which redefines recovery as an active, ongoing process.
  • 6 (10:48) **Staying Sober vs. Truly Healing** - The conversation shifts to what separates mere abstinence from genuine, lasting transformation.
  • 7 (11:52) **Working with the NBA & Athletes** - Dr. Avery discusses his work with elite athletes and why they are uniquely suited for recovery.

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Show Notes

What if we've been approaching addiction treatment all wrong?

Richard Taite sits down with Dr. Jonathan Avery, Vice Chair for Addiction Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and Medical Director of the NBA's anti-drug program, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations about addiction medicine we've had on this show.

They tackle whether "substance use disorder" is the right language or whether owning the word "addict" actually helps more people heal, what modern psychiatry still gets catastrophically wrong about addiction, why social media and sports betting are becoming the most dangerous addictions of our era, and what working with NBA players has taught Dr. Avery about recovery that no textbook ever could.

Dr. Avery is the author of the upcoming Thriving with Addiction and host of the Thriving with Addiction podcast. Find him and the free SAFE family support program at Weill Cornell by searching his name.

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