Addiction Psychiatrist, Chief Medical Officer, and Accomplished Author
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Dear readers and writers welcome to my new interview story, which introduces an accomplished writer. I enjoy interacting with people from diverse cultures, countries, and professional backgrounds. I have been interviewing professionals for a long time.
On this platform, I specifically enjoy interviewing writers. Each writer’s interview is special to me as each person is unique. My goal is to introduce them to my audience so that they can meet another interesting/relatable person on this planet and explore their work. I discussed the Importance and Remarkable Benefits of Interviews in My Professional and Personal Life.
In this interview, I’m delighted to introduce Dr. Lauren Grawert, MD, who has been a valuable contributor to my publications for some time. Her stories have provided me with profound insights, and I’ve discovered that, despite our different backgrounds, we share many common values.
What I admire most about Dr. Grawert is her fearless honesty — she speaks the truth without concern for criticism or censorship from mainstream media. We need more courageous and compassionate doctors like her, and I’m eager for my audience to learn from her experiences and insights.
Given her demanding role as both a busy mom and Chief Medical Officer of a healthcare organization, we kept this interview brief, concentrating on the key messages. She is incredibly caring, friendly, responsive, and approachable. At the end of the post, I will share her contact details with anyone interested in connecting with her.
Meet Lauren Grawert, MD
Hi Dr Grawert, tell us a bit about your background.
Hi Dr Yildiz, thank you for this opportunity. I’m an Addiction Psychiatrist and a married mom of two. I live right outside of Washington, DC. My husband is a pilot. I am currently the Chief Medical Officer at Aware Recovery Care, which offers in-home and virtual addiction treatment. Prior to this, I was the Chief of Psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic, where I developed an all-virtual alcohol and opioid detox program to serve a patient population of approximately one million people so that people could continue to receive quality addiction treatment during COVID.
Although medicine is my profession, my true passion is writing and advocacy work. I’m passionate about educating others on mental health and addiction treatment and decreasing societal stigma around both topics and increasing access to care. To that end, I serve on the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM) policy writing committee. We recently published a policy statement on The Role of Pharmacists in Medications for Addiction Treatment.
I also feel strongly about educating other healthcare providers on the importance of self-care and self-compassion to reduce burnout and emotional fatigue. I’ve published several recent medical articles on these topics in Doximity and also partnered with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to produce a video on screening and treatment of psychiatric and addiction conditions. Right now, I do a lot of doctoring with a little bit of writing and speaking on the side. But I’d ultimately like to transition to mostly writing with just a sprinkling of doctoring.
What are your hobbies, or what excites or entertains you?
When I’m not spending time with my kiddos, I love to read and write about hot topics in medicine. As a physician, I see many large but fixable gaps in our healthcare system. I like to write about these gaps to educate others on doable solutions. When I’m not writing, reading, or mom-ing (yes-I made that a verb), I love to go out ballroom dancing and swing dancing.
What are the top three books that affected your life?
In the Ream of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Check out my recommendations for fantastic summer reading books here.
Why do you write on Medium?
I write on Medium to reach thoughtful and engaged readers. I also really enjoy reading fellow Medium writer articles. Finally, I write on Medium to meet fellow writers like you to connect with a larger supportive writer community.
Do you write on other platforms like Substack? If so, how do you find them?
I write weekly articles on Medium, Substack, and Linked In. My LinkedIn weekly newsletter is called Hot Topics in Healthcare. My Substack newsletter is The White Coat Warrior. I find that it gets hard to keep up with more than 3 platforms consistently, so I limit myself to these three. I’m always open to writer recommendations on best writing platforms, though!
The White Coat Warrior | Lauren Grawert | Substack
Thoughts from a wife/mom/physician on how to survive and thrive as a provider in the world of modern healthcare. Click…doctorlauren.substack.com
What are your values as a writer?
As a writer, I value honesty, authenticity, and humor. Sometimes it is difficult to be honest. It leaves us vulnerable to potential criticism. However, I’ve found that when I write from a place of honesty and vulnerability about difficult topics such as suicide, depression, and addiction, as well as lighter topics like my fast-food addiction, people appreciate (and recognize) the true you.
How do you connect with your readers?
I like to write about topics or personal experiences that convey a universal, relatable human emotion through a creative and different perspective. For example, in The Great French Fry Heist, I poke fun at a younger, more naively confident version of myself to show how jumping to conclusions can often lead you to incorrect (and embarrassing!) assumptions.
Why did you join ILLUMINATION, and how do you find it so far?
I joined ILLUMINATION to gain exposure to quality, well-written articles and stories and to be part of a larger online writing community. And I must say, both the story content and the writer’s comradery do not disappoint!
Who are some writers you follow on ILLUMINATION?
I like to follow you, as you offers really practical health tips and writing advice on how to grow your audience. I especially enjoyed your article on Vitamin B12 deficiency, as I’ve suffered from this as well. I also like the work of Medium writer Kristina God, MBA as she gives very practical advice for scaling as a writer and she is also a fellow mom. I also find Dr. Mike Broadly’s writing to be practical and informative.
What are the top five stories that you want to share with your audience and why?
Is Alcohol as Dangerous as Cigarettes? The Answer Might Surprise You.
The Troubling Trend of Pharmacies Refusing to Fill a Life Saving Medication
How Addiction Teaches Us 5 Core Strengths of the Human Condition
The first two stories listed above are stories of my favorite and most powerful patient journeys. They portray the struggle with addiction through the patient perspective. The last three articles are non-fiction pieces about alcohol and addiction treatment that cover new (and at times disturbing) information in the field from a physician perspective.
What are the success factors for you as a writer?
I try to write a little bit almost every day at a point in the day when I’m feeling my best, both mentally and physically. Most folks have a natural daily rhythm with energy highs and lows. For me, I have the most mental energy and motivation between about 9 and 11:30 am, so I try to write during that time. I also enjoy writing on airplanes, as it is quiet and there are fewer distractions from technology. Finally, I try to write about topics that stir up strong emotions for me- both positive and negative. It’s more energizing to write about topics and stories that stir up powerful emotions.
What do you recommend to the new writers?
Don’t be afraid to be yourself. We often have a hesitancy to express controversial opinions or different perspectives over fear of judgement. BUT. Being the purest, most distilled version of you and being courageous enough to convey your true heart, with all of its bruises and beauty, is precisely what makes you interesting and will set your writing apart from others.
What are your plans as a writer or as a professional?
One day, I would like to compile all of my stories into a book about life as a doctor. Medicine offers a unique, up-close perspective into the best and worst parts of the human condition.
As a physician, I’ve been incredibly blessed to bear witness to the troubles and triumphs of the human experience in all its technicolor versions. One day, I’d like to share the best of these stories with the world in one cohesive memoir.
But until then, I’ll keep writing smaller snapshots and sharing them with you. I am so appreciative of those who take the time to read my articles and provide thoughtful article feedback, positive and negative. Keep it coming!
Many thanks to Dr Lauren Grawert, MD for allocating her precious time to give us a glimpse of her interesting life. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, and chat with him on Substack Notes.
I recently wrote a book titled Substack Mastery. If you are interested, I decided to share the early version as one chapter a day for my beta readers. Here is the first chapter for beginners.
Today, I posted Chapter 3 on an exciting and important topic: Substack Recommendations and Collaboration Tools. Here is the link:
Substack Mastery Book: Chapter 3
How to Grow on Substack with Peer or Fan Recommendations and Powerful Engagement and Sharing Tools.medium.com
Please explore some leading newsletters featured by ILLUMINATION-Curators in episode 8released earlier today. It is an excellent collaboration tool for growing your Substack profile and newsletters.
Substack Mastery Featured Newsletters: Episode 8
Curated newsletters of writers contributing to the Substack Mastery publication on Medium for joyful collaboration and…medium.com
Links to Previous Interview Interviews
I interviewed other writers on this platform. The following links will allow you to easily access them. Follow the writers who resonate with you.
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Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
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