Jan 21, 2016
“The Brain and Recovery: An Update on the Neuroscience of Addiction” was presented on Tuesday January 19, 2016; by Kevin T. McCauley, MD; co-founder of the Institute on Addiction Study and writer of the award-winning DVD “Pleasure Unwoven” There The last twenty years produced an explosion of understanding not only about addiction (substance use disorders) but how our brains enable our most human capacities such as hedonic valuation and decision-making. This lecture summarizes the most current neuroscientific research about addiction - research that explains how the brain constructs pleasurable experiences, what happens when this process goes wrong, and why this can have a dramatic impact in our ability to make proper choices.
This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual workshop series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about chemical dependency, recovery, family and related issues. The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of chemical dependency services. For information, please see http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series.
Kevin McCauley, MD is a graduate of Drexel University Medical School and is currently matriculated at the University of Utah School of Public Health M.P.H. program. Dr. McCauley is a former Navy flight surgeon and is a co-founder of the Institute for Addiction Study. He serves as the Director of Program Services for New Roads Treatment Center in Utah, and was the former Director of Le Mont Michel in Sandy, Utah. He is currently the President of the Utah Association of Recovery Residences. Dr. McCauley has provided educational lectures on topics related to addiction and recovery for family group and patients at Cirque Lodge in Utah and was the Director of Medical Education for Sober Living By The Sea in California. He is recognized as an engaging lecturer, creative filmmaker, and innovative program designer whose work makes difficult scientific concepts accessible to all, and helps to foster the acceptance of people in recovery as full and valued members of society. His DVD “Pleasure Unwoven” won the 2010 NAATP Michael Q. Ford journalism award. His new DVD, “Memo to Self: Protecting Sobriety with the Science of Safety” was released in January 2015.