Cuckoo Part II: What Tony Brought to the Table
How addiction divides the experience of consuming drugs from selling them
Rosalie Genova
I'm a clinical counselor, educator, writer and tarot reader. My specialty is substance use, but I no longer work in the treatment industry due to creative differences. My practice website: welcome.genova-lcpc.com
Cuckoo Is A Verb
Cuckooing highlights the gap between what supports we might want for people with addictions, versus what is actually available.
Reviews
Review of The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs
At this point in the unwinnable "war on drugs," the question is not whether drugs should or will be legalized, but rather how.
One Year of Curing Addiction
My baby turns one this month! I started this newsletter in August 2025, and though I'm busy with other writing goals I wanted to take the occasion to reflect on what I've learned. A Cure For Addiction was and is meant to be the public-facing,
Publishing News
We All Need The Same Things + Other News
Welcome, and welcome back, curers of addiction! This edition is for summer updates and a sketch of what I'm doing when not posting here every week. My Cover Story in The Bollard It's an honor to be in The Bollard, Portland's independent print magazine.
Reviews
Review of Liquid Handcuffs: Policing and Punishment in Methadone Clinics and the Future of Opioid Addiction Treatment
So we have an old, unprofitable medication and a newer "blockbuster drug." Can you guess who's ended up on which one?
Reviews
Review of Trial By Treatment: Punishing Illness in an Age of Criminal Legal Reform
If you're looking for a good celebration today, here's "250 Years of Resistance," recorded last night at the National Public Housing Museum. Bring a notebook and a cup of coffee. On to today's post... Trial By Treatment: Punishing Illness in an Age
Insurance
My Provider Experience Reviewed: Private Insurers vs. Medicaid
My earlier post on retaining accessible providers in the addiction field mentioned insurance as a primary problem. That is, dealing with insurance companies is so burdensome and unpredictable that at this point many providers only take private pay– which places their care out of reach for most patients. I wrote
Depth Recovery and "Things I Must Earn"
Last weekend I attended a fantastic workshop introducing "Depth Recovery," an approach developed by presenter Corey Gamberg, LADC. Gamberg shared his lived experience with addiction and recovery and, like me, has been working in treatment for a long time. Unlike me, Gamberg also has credentials in Jungian psychotherapy,
Reader Requests
The Factor of Shame
📋This topic was requested on my anonymous reader survey, which is still open. I'd love to hear from you, subscriber or not! 5-Question Survey Shame is the air we breathe in addiction treatment. It suffuses what is said, which words are used to say it, and especially
I Have a Brain Disease. It's Very Straightforward.
Typically I do not share much about my personal life. But I have one story that feels too apropos not to tell. It's about my high-stakes but totally straightforward experience of "brain disease." The model for understanding addiction that currently dominates policy discourse is a
Reader Requests
Mother's Day Edition: "The Molecules Are Outstripping Our Categories"+ Honoring Marlene McNeill
🙏This topic was suggested by Noel Genova, PA-C. Do you have a question or topic to suggest? Use the Contact button above. My mom is a veteran physician assistant in internal medicine. She has worked with many patients with addictions, introduced me to tarot when I was a teen,