Why People Choose Drugs and Alcohol Over Family
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD The aphorism ‘blood is thicker than water’ reminds us to prioritize family. When it appears that people choose drugs and alcohol over family doubt reverberates through the deepest truths of human bonds. We become so focused on how someone could choose drugs and alcohol over family that we miss the bigger […]
2020 Cochrane Study Says AA is More Effective than CBT
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD A 2020 mega study from research juggernauts Cochrane garnered substantial attention when it concluded that “there is high quality evidence that manualized AA/[Twelve Step Facilitation] interventions are more effective than other established treatments, such as CBT.” Click-bait headlines proliferated touting things like, “AA Superior to CBT for Alcohol Addiction,” and, “AA […]
How Absorbing Activities Can Help Addictive Problems
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD Addiction is characterized by a narrowing of behavior patterns. As a particular behavior begins to dominate others, problems are likely to arise. Expanding and diversifying behavior patterns is vital to overcoming addictive problems. Identifying and participating in activities that capture and sustain our engaged interest is essential to well-being, and improved […]
Mushroom Therapy Sublingual Strips: A Trip on a Strip
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD Few things scare big pharma like effective medicines people don’t have to take every day. Many are familiar with the sardonic notion that there is no money in the cure. The psychedelic treatment renaissance is arguably the biggest existential threat to big pharma’s decades-long chokehold on America’s addiction to psychotropic medications. […]
Drug Use Rarely Leads to Addiction
By Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD Most of us recall fondly a time when facts were facts. No facts and alternative facts, just facts based on following the evidence even when it leads in undesirable and uncomfortable directions. The world of addiction still awaits a time when facts rule over groupthink and personal opinion. We at Practical […]
Pulse on the Pandemic: Addiction & Treatment
The coronavirus has affected nearly every aspect of our society. Just as our daily routines, personal habits, and day to day frameworks we use to navigate the human experience have all been disrupted, so too, has the social capacity to help those who are struggling. To keep a pulse on the impact of the pandemic […]
Ending Drug Prohibition Could Unite Left & Right
By Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD We know prohibition doesn’t stop drug use, actually makes the use of drugs more dangerous, and helps increase profit margins for those who control the black market. We know that humans locked in cages for possessing psychoactive compounds deemed dangerous by the government are disproportionately people of color. We know the […]
Disputing Irrational Beliefs & The Power of the Question
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD Humans are renowned for our cranial horsepower. To maximize efficiency, our brains developed a number of shortcuts to thinking that are rarely questioned. The discovery of the brain’s cognitive shortcuts made researcher Daniel Kahneman one of only two psychologists ever to with both the Nobel and Grawemeyer prizes, and for those […]
Drug Overdoses on the Rise Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD We know that close connections and a breadth of quality relationships are often at the heart of overcoming addictive problems. The coronavirus and subsequent safety measures mandating isolation make close connections with others more challenging than ever. It is no surprise then, amidst a pandemic forcing social isolation, that people are […]
Oregon Sets Stage to Legalize Mushroom Therapy for Addiction Treatment
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD Good news for people interested in effective treatment innovations, Oregon recently set the stage to legalize mushroom therapy for addiction. The measure will be on the ballot for voters in the fall of 2020, and if passed, Oregon could be the first state to legally offer psilocybin treatment. Years later, our […]