Substance misuse is a significant health concern in the United States, with many misconceptions and stigma surrounding the topic. These ideas often come from a belief that substance use is a personal choice, resulting from a lack of willpower and poor morals. Stigma makes it difficult to ask for help and to offer help.
In our latest episode of The Power of Prevention podcast, The Partnership sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Harwood for an honest conversation about the science of addiction. Dr. Harwood digs into the biology that leads to substance misuse and discusses how we are slowly changing our understanding of substance use disorder. We discuss topics including prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and the influence of risk and protective factors.
Click here to listen to the full episode!
Dr. Elizabeth Harwood
Dr. Harwood received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Montana and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of New Hampshire’s Counseling Center. She joined Rivier University in 2009 and is the Department Coordinator for Psychology. Dr. Harwood has also contributed to her community’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis by speaking on the biological basis of addiction at community events and by helping create the Addiction Studies track in Psychology and Human Services. In 2016, she received the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Award for Outstanding Teaching in Post-secondary Education.
The Power of Prevention podcast provides important information about preventing the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Produced by The Partnership @drugfreeNH, each episode features some of the great work taking place in the Granite State in prevention.
The Power of Prevention podcast series is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcast, or on our webpage. You can subscribe to the series wherever you listen.