Maia Szalavitz: Addiction Isn't About Drugs. It's About Pain

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.