A conversation with Travis Rieder

In the US today, opioids kill more people than car accidents and gun violence. In 2017, more individuals died from an opioid overdose than at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Meet Travis Rieder, an incredible academic, bioethicist, author and TEDx speaker. Travis has come face to face with the reasons behind the crisis of opioid dependence and addiction in the US, which as we live and breathe today, is reaching into many other corners of the world. After a debilitating motorbike accident in which he nearly lost his foot, Travis developed a dependence on oxycodone and his world changed. He talked to me about this was like and the shocking trauma of withdrawal; the horrendous physical illness he endured for no less than 29 days and the crushing depression that sidelined him and drove him to suicidal thoughts. At the time he had an idyllic life - a happy marriage, baby daughter and successful career at one of America’s most respected academic institutions - and he was still almost destroyed mentally and physically by this dependence. Once he gained some distance from the trauma of withdrawal he was able to start sharing his experience, the crippling lows and the lack of medical support. The guidance he has put out there for others through his TED talk, writing, research, policy and public education is a wonder. In this episode we get into the detail of Travis’s experience with opioids, and he helps educate me about the difference between dependence and addiction as well as the areas of change so desperately needed in the US medical care system.

Please share with anyone who might benefit and check out the blog post on Travis ofmountainsandminds.com, which has all the show notes.