Dr. Publicker, MD, FASAM, ABAM Diplomate, is the President of the Northern New England Society of Addiction Medicine and an addiction medicine specialist at the Mercy Recovery Center in Westbrook, Maine. Featured below is an interview between Dr. Publicker and ASAM Weekly.
ASAM Weekly: What does ASAM mean to you?
Dr. Mark Publicker: ASAM has been my professional and spiritual home for nearly 27 years. Here I’ve developed my craft , deepened knowledge of my specialty, had the opportunity to advocate for my patients and to develop deep and abiding friendships.
AW: If you could trade places with any other addiction professional for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
MP: Abraham Twerski, MD. Abe is one of the early pioneers in treating people with addictions with wisdom, humor and compassion. His work has helped destigmatize the disease and help gain acceptance of recovering people.
AW: What in your professional life are you focusing your energies on currently?
MP: I’m engaged in many (perhaps too many) state-wide commissions and activities: pain and addiction, maternal addiction, the Substance Abuse Service Commission the Medical Professionals Health Program, the Northern New England Society of Addiction Medicine, and have a month-long rotation for second year psychiatry residents from Tufts. All in addition to my full time job. And I do find time to be with my family!
AW: If you had a million dollars to spend on increasing access to and improving the quality of addiction treatment, how would you spend it?
MP: Expand our treatment of pregnant, drug-addicted women. We need safe housing, transportation, case management and child care.
AW: What motivates you to work in the field?
MP: I have the best job in medicine. I can apply my knowledge and skills on suffering patients see the incredible progress they make with the combination of rehabilitation, medication-assisted therapy and Twelve Step work.
AW: If you could choose a super power, what would it be, and why?
MP: Time travel. I could have the time to finish my medical records and discharge summaries as well has take care of my garden and lawn.
AW: What are you most proud of?
MP: Developing an effective maternal addiction treatment program.
AW: What is the last book you read, film you watched, and who is your favorite artist or musician?
MP: The Complete Stories by Bernard Malamud; Rise of the Planet of the Apes (great fun!); musicians, Paul Simon, Tom Waits (I couldn’t chose just one); film maker Terry Gilliam; composer John Adams; poet Billy Collins; and artist George Bellows.
AW: What publications do you subscribe to?
MP: The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.
AW: What do you see as the next trends in the field?
MP: Positive trend: medications for cognitive enhancement. Negative trend: a move away from the central role of Twelve Step Recovery.
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