Maia Szalavitz: Addiction Isn't About Drugs. It's About Pain
About this episode
What actually helps people recover from addiction?In this powerful episode of We're Out of Time, Richard Taite sits down with NY Times bestselling author, journalist, and leading voice in addiction science Maia Szalavitz to explore recovery, trauma, harm reduction, and the role of compassion in healing.Drawing from both personal experience and decades of research, Maia challenges common assumptions about addiction and explains why shame, punishment, and stigma so often fail to create lasting change.
This episode covers:
• Maia's journey from addiction to recovery and becoming one of today's most important addiction author
• Why addiction is often rooted in pain, trauma, and disconnection
• The debate around harm reduction approaches
• Why compassion may be more effective than punishment
• What actually helps people get — and stay — better
• The future of addiction policy and care
At the heart of it all, this is a conversation about why these approaches matter and creating more paths to recovery.
Get every episode summarized
Each time We're Out of Time publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from We're Out of Time
Lindsay Clancy Case: The Warning Signs of Postpartum Psychosis | Dr. Blair Steel...
We're Out of Time
Lighthouse Parenting: Raising Resilient Kids | Dr. Ken Ginsburg
We're Out of Time
Stephan Speaks: Why You Keep Choosing the Wrong Person, and How to Stop
We're Out of Time
What We're Still Getting Wrong About Addiction | Dr. Jonathan Avery
We're Out of Time