Episode 5: Dr. Christina Delos Reyes discusses spirituality in addiction medicine, and the importance of storytelling

In our final podcast during National Addiction Treatment Week 2023, Dr. Christina Delos Reyes shares how she came to be an addiction medicine specialist, starting as a peer support for other students in medical school. She has now come full circle, as she currently serves as a coach helping healers heal themselves. Dr. Delos Reyes talks about the importance of storytelling and what inspired her to start Club Hope, a compassionate community for anyone and everyone affected by addiction. She discusses the importance of bringing the disease of addiction out into the light, to eradicate the stigma, shame, and secrecy of addiction, so it becomes a “casserole illness.” She also touches on the process by which stigma and discrimination perpetuate one another. Dr. Delos Reyes shares about her transition from clinician to coach, the complexities of her work, and the need for medical students to be exposed to individuals in long-term recovery in order to change the story from hopeless to hopeful. Dr. Delos Reyes’ message to others is to focus on relationships and shared humanity, and she discusses the role of spirituality in addiction treatment and recovery.

Dr. Christina Delos Reyes is an addiction psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience. She shifted from clinical practice in 2022 and spends her time teaching, consulting, and coaching. She will be joining the Ohio Professionals Health Program as associate medical director later this year. She currently splits her time between her hometown of Cleveland and her new town of Las Vegas.

Thank you for listening.  In honor of National Addiction Treatment Week, ASAM is providing the choice of two engaging on-demand 2023 ASAM Annual Conference sessions for free until Dec. 31, 2023. Use code NATW2023 at checkout when you register for either Stimulant Treatment for ADHD: Not Exactly Opioids 2.0, But Close? or Delta What? An Update on Novel Cannabinoids including Delta-8 and 10 THC

For more podcast episodes and resources, follow #TreatmentWeek and visit www.treataddictionsavelives.org.

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Links:

Club Hope: www.clubhopeunlimited.com