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Practical Recovery

Psilocybin To Treat Addiction?

Psilocybin To Treat Addiction?

Psilocybin to Treat Addiction? Psilocybin, Brain Entropy, Brain Modularity, and Social Reward, by Kenneth Anderson, MA What is Brain Entropy? Brain entropy is defined by the complexity of the signals produced by the brain. Simpler signals are defined as having lower entropy, and more complex signals are defined as having higher entropy. A sine wave […]

Are You Considering Self-Empowering Addiction Treatment?

Are You Considering Self-Empowering Addiction Treatment?

Are You Considering Self-Empowering Addiction Treatment?By Tom Horvath, PhD Are you seeking assistance for resolving addictive problems? Would you like that assistance to respect your ability to make your own decisions and your other abilities? We view you as able to identify and create your own solutions for change, even though you may initially need […]

Principles of Self-Empowering Addiction Treatment

Principles of Self-Empowering Addiction Treatment

Principles of Self-Empowering Addiction TreatmentBy Tom Horvath, PhD Most US addiction treatment does not use a self-empowering approach and instead relies on some version of the 12-step powerlessness approach. If you are looking for an alternative to the 12 steps, this blog describes Practical Recovery’s implementation of the self-empowering approach. Self-empowerment: Rather than listening to […]

Union County Premiere, San Diego 8/14/26

Union County Premiere, San Diego 8/14/26

A New Addiction Film, Union County, Premieres Fri 8/14/26 in San Diego By Tom Horvath Keep in mind that I am reviewing this film based on the trailer and other promotional material, the IMDB.com listing, and comments made by reviewers and others who have actually seen this film. I think realistic films about addictive problems […]

A Guide to Addiction Treatment Services

A Guide to Addiction Treatment Services

A Guide to Addiction Treatment Services By Tom Horvath, PhD There are many types of addiction treatment and many places to participate in it. The US government lists well over 15,000 treatment facilities: US government listing of services There are also many services associated with addiction treatment. By comparison, if you admit to a hospital […]

Problems With Daily Cannabis Use?

Problems With Daily Cannabis Use?

Problems with daily cannabis use? By Tom Horvath, PhD It has been difficult to study cannabis use because of its legal status. Even if allowed in specific states, because of federal law most researchers would be reluctant to keep cannabis in their labs. So not much progress has been made on establishing standard doses and […]

The US Crack Epidemic

The US Crack Epidemic

Crack: The Epidemic That Wasn’t By Kenneth Anderson, MA President Ronald Reagan declared his war on drugs on October 14, 1982. Unlike Nixon’s drug war, which prioritized treatment over incarceration and gave us methadone clinics coast to coast, Reagan’s drug war was entirely a war of mass incarceration of the poor and minorities. Crack is […]

How Well Can AI Provide Addiction Treatment?

How Well Can AI Provide Addiction Treatment?

How Well Can AI Provide Addiction Treatment? By Tom Horvath, PhD It is too early to describe precisely what aspects of addiction treatment AI could provide. I expect that it will be useful in providing between-session support, helping clients learn basic information about addictive problems (often called psychoeducation), and conducting screening and diagnosis (assuming the […]

Not Your Grandfather’s Disease Theory

Not Your Grandfather’s Disease Theory

Not Your Grandfather’s Disease TheoryBy Kenneth Anderson, MA The disease theory of alcohol addiction can be traced back to the late 1700s with the publication of Dr. Benjamin Rush’s 1785 An Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits on the Human Body and Mind, followed by Dr. Thomas Trotter’s 1804 An Essay, Medical, Philosophical, and […]

Updates on the Negative Health Effects of Overdrinking

Updates on the Negative Health Effects of Overdrinking

By Tom Horvath, PhD Did you realize that alcohol deaths (178,000 per year) exceed the deaths associated with all other recreational drugs combined? And that alcohol deaths exceed deaths associated with all infectious disease? A series of articles, β€œThe Deadliest Drug,” by reporter Isabella Cueto at www.Statnews.com, considers the negative impact of alcohol during pregnancy […]