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
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? 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 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
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, “The Deadliest Drug,” by reporter Isabella Cueto at www.Statnews.com, considers the negative impact of alcohol during pregnancy […]
Why Do Moderate Drinkers Live Longer?
Why Do Moderate Drinkers Live Longer?By Kenneth Anderson, MA Ever since research published by Raymond Pearl in 1926, scientists have known that the relationship between alcohol consumption and longevity is a J-shaped curve. In other words, moderate drinkers, on the average, live the longest with death rates at the bottom of the J-shaped curve. Lifelong […]
Spirituality and Addictive Problems
By Tom Horvath, PhD A recent study found a helpful effect from having a “spiritual component” to one’s life. That component significantly prevented addictive problems and aided in the change process if problems already existed. The strength of the effect was not major but given the challenges of addressing an addictive problem it is helpful […]
Rewards in Long Term Recovery
By Tom Horvath, PhD What’s the point of stopping an addictive problem if your life does not become better? It can get better by reducing the costs associated with the addictive problem, but also by having new rewards. Unfortunately, returning to previously established rewards, and if needed, developing new ones, can be a challenge. A […]
Housing First Debate
By Tom Horvath, PhD Housing First project launches in Alaska, but the debate about housing first continues. Anchorage, Alaska, has launched an innovative treatment program that includes housing in tiny homes for unhoused individuals with addictive problems. Press coverage dated April 2, 2026, describes the 32-home community, Willow Commons, which is placed in a parking […]
How Are You and Food Doing?
By Tom Horvath, PhD Eating is an addictive behavior (not necessarily an addictive problem) we typically engage in multiple times per day. There are many words associated with eating, including food, flavor, texture, and hunger. Improving eating often helps improve lifestyle balance and addictive problems. For this reason, I regularly discuss eating with clients. Below […]