Substance Use and Risk of Stroke
By Tom Horvath, PhD This recently published meta-analysis (a study, using rigorous statistical methods, to summarize the results of a large group of other studies) concludes that “several forms of substance misuse increase stroke risk, particularly cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabis [in that order of risk].” The increase with alcohol was lower. Nicotine and opioids did […]
Podcast Interview on Sixty Plus Uncensored
By Tom Horvath, PhD Given that I will speak to as many audiences as feasible on topics like addiction treatment, understanding addictive problems, and the self-empowering approach, I was pleased to be invited for this podcast. Its website says: Sixty Plus Uncensored is a bold, funny, and unapologetically real podcast for people who refuse to fade […]
Pre-Existing Brain Structure and Later Substance Use
By Tom Horvath, PhD This finding is an opportunity to highlight the ABCD, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The ABCD, launched in 2015 and funded by the federal government, is the largest US long-term study of brain development and child health. The project involves 21 research sites, 50 principal investigators, and 11,880 children who […]
Practical Recovery’s New Website
By Tom Horvath, PhD It was getting time to refresh the appearance of Practical Recovery’s website. A new one launched 2/18/26. Thank you to our digital marketing manager, Cheri Harkleroad! It may take some time to completely migrate all the content. In another effort to learn about AI, I inquired about how big the website […]
Risk Factors in Long-Term Recovery
By Tom Horvath, PhD This study examined relapses in individuals who had at least one year of sustained remission from an alcohol use disorder. The average recovery time for these 50 individuals was 3.6 years, 25 were white, 22 were female, and most were early middle age. All were back in remission for at least […]
A Standard for Cannabis Moderation
By Tom Horvath, PhD We know how to estimate levels of alcohol moderation and intoxication. For instance, we can estimate that a 180 pound male, without a history of alcohol dependence, drinking over two hours, might hardly feel one drink, would be mildly buzzed at two or three drinks, would be substantially buzzed (and over […]
Improving Neuroplasticity: Psychedelics and Other Approaches
By Tom Horvath, PhD Psychedelic experiences have apparently been an aspect of Western life for a long time. It is hypothesized that the Eleusinian Mysteries, a religious rite in the ancient Greek world starting circa 1500 BCE, involved the use of an LSD-like substance. Since the synthesis of LSD in 1943, there have been waves […]
Food in Addiction Recovery: A Contrarian View About Recipes
A contrarian view about recipes (but encouragement to prepare food at home) By Tom Horvath, PhD I was raised by a father from a family in the catering business, and a mother who was a dietitian and highly accomplished cook (one of the best I have experienced). In our home we had dozens of recipe […]
Why Traditional Addiction Treatment Might Be Ineffective
By Tom Horvath, PhD By traditional addiction treatment I mean expecting the client to agree that addiction is a disease, abstain for life, engage deeply in 12-step meetings, and attend them for life. This approach probably continues as the dominant US approach, although there may be much variation in how firmly it is applied. This […]
Cognitive Reappraisal
By Tom Horvath, PhD “We are disturbed not by events but by our views about them.” – Epictetus, 50-135 CE The cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) tool known as cognitive reappraisal uses a fancy term for what is perhaps the fundamental idea of Stoicism: We can control our lives by controlling our “views” (or our “thoughts,” in […]