UN-ADDICTION | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

An evidence-based, eye-opening perspective on addiction that will change conversations, increase compassion for those struggling, and enlighten readers on how to seek out the help they really need to get better. Drawing from peer-reviewed research and decades of experience as a board-certified physician in adult general psychiatry and addiction medicine, Dr. Harrison demonstrates to readers that addiction is a chronic disease, not simply a choice bad people make. Each chapter includes data and compelling anecdotes to explain the vulnerabilities that put a person at higher risk: genetics, the environment, the pharmaceutical industry, and more. This book is needed now more than ever—it's for everyone who has struggled with addiction, is worried about their own or a loved one’s substance use or is looking to reduce the risk of developing the disease. Ultimately, readers will see how those afflicted can overcome the guilt, shame, and self-blame that surround the topic of addiction.

Dr. Nzinga Harrison is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside psychiatrist, medical educator, author, and speaker Dr. Danielle Hairston to share more about her research on addiction and how it is a chronic illness that responds to treatment and deserves compassion. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Dr. Harrison will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of UN-ADDICTION will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed. 

We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books

Nzinga Harrison, MD is a board-certified physician with specialties in psychiatry and addiction medicine. She is also CMO and co-founder of Eleanor Health, an innovative mental health and addiction treatment company. Dr. Harrison holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the Morehouse School of Medicine and is the Vice-Chair of the American Society of Addiction Medicine Practice Management and Regulatory Affairs Committee.  

Danielle Hairston, MD was raised in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. She attended Rutgers University for her undergraduate education, and earned a degree in Biological Sciences. She earned her medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Hairston was Chief Resident for the Department of Psychiatry at Howard University Hospital, where she completed her general psychiatry residency. She completed her Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship at and went on to become faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Hairston returned to Howard University College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor and was recently appointed as the Psychiatry Residency Program Director. Dr. Hairston is the immediate past president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)’s Black Caucus’, serving from 2019-2022. She has served as the Black Psychiatrists of America (BPA) Scientific Program Chair since 2016. 

Dr. Hairston has spoken nationally and internationally about the impact of race and culture on mental health. She is a contributing author to the recently published book, Racism and Psychiatry: Contemporary Issues and Interventions. Dr. Hairston is a Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Leader. She is the content creator for the mixed media platform Black Psychiatry and podcast co-host for the new podcast The Next 72 Hours. 

Her interests include consultation-liaison psychiatry, resident education, underrepresented minorities in medicine, HBCU medical education, and structural racism.

Host or Publisher Busboys and Poets