Peers Impact Drinking Behavior

Curious about whether your peers impact your drinking behavior? For most individuals, alcohol consumption is a social phenomenon, at least at the outset of their drinking. Previous research suggests that most human behavior is learned through imitation or modeling. Studies also suggest that imitation plays a role in addictive behaviors. Previous wine-tasting studies have demonstrated […]
Do Sober Living Houses Help in Addiction Recovery?

A non 12 step approach to recovery promotes individuals to continue on to a sober living home after completing inpatient drug or alcohol rehab. While living in sober living homes, individuals can participate in outpatient services where there are opportunities for individuals to receive evidence-based addiction treatment. But do sober living houses help, and just […]
The Relationship Between Self-Regulation and Alcohol Use

Article Updated 4/13/2022 Self-empowering addiction treatment utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy and teaching mindfulness to help people cope with their cravings, be more aware of their thoughts, and increase self-regulation in alcohol recovery. But just how important is self-regulation in recovery from alcohol use? To better understand it in recovery, it helps to understand it in the […]
Alcohol commercials on television affect drinking behavior and alcohol recovery

The following study would be useful in a self-empowering addiction treatment program where individuals learn strategies to help them cope with cravings such as those experienced when viewing alcohol-related commercials and other media. Alcohol Commercials and Drinking Behavior – A Study Tobacco advertising has been minimized in many locations. Alcohol advertising, on the other hand, […]
EEG Maps of Alcohol-Dependent Individuals

In an alternative to AA, a self-empowering approach can be used to create individualized treatment plans which incorporate greater or fewer relapse prevention approaches to recovery. A self-empowering approach to alcohol recovery emphasizes four main points including: maintaining motivation, coping with urges, managing thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and living a balanced life. By incorporating these […]
Expectations of alcohol treatment among alcohol dependent individuals

Through a self-empowering approach to recovery, those in alcohol treatment can learn about alcohol addiction and how to cope with cravings. It is important to implement a client-friendly approach to recovery because this will maintain the clients’ interest in treatment. Understanding what the client hopes to gain from treatment may be a key indicator of […]
Pharmacotherapies for Alcohol Treatment: A Comparative Trial of Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Acamprosate

Past research suggests that (self-empowering addiction treatment) cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence. In some cases, psychological treatment can be significantly improved by pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapies used in alcohol treatment include disulfiram, an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor; naltrexone, an opioid antagonist; and acamprosate, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor blocker. Few studies have compared the […]
Link Between Sweet Tooth and Alcohol Treatment

In an alternative to AA, self-empowering approaches to recovery incorporate living a sen life. This includes proper nutrition, exercise, and rest. Maintaining good mental health is an important aspect of long term abstinence and nutrition, exercise and adequate rest, play a significant role here. Good health in recovery is an important aspect to achieving a […]
AA’s Dominance in the US is Harmful

by A. Tom Horvath, PhD., ABPP It would be easy to misunderstand the title of this article. I’m not saying that AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) is harmful. On the contrary, many people attend AA and report it to be helpful. In the US there may be one million individuals or more active in AA at any […]
Health Realization Compared to 12-Step Programs in Drug Rehab

It has been widely said that “AA is the only thing that works” when it comes to alcohol recovery. The 12-step model of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is now applied to other substance use disorders in drug rehab centers around the world. However, research shows that AA is not the only approach that works. In fact, […]