Oregon Decriminalizes Drugs & Legalizes Psilocybin Treatment
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD The glare cast from the hot spotlight on the Presidential Election drowned out what is arguably the single best day for drug policy reform in U.S. history. Oregon became the first state to both decriminalize drugs and legalize psilocybin treatment. Four additional U.S. states legalized recreational cannabis. All drug policy reform propositions up […]
The Urgency of Drug Policy Reform
By Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD The urgent need for drug policy reform cannot be understated. In the past few weeks, two stories about drug crime shone yet another spotlight on the lunacy of U.S. drug policy. Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma plead guilty to three felony charges and incurred an $8 billion dollar fine for actions contributing […]
Alcohol and Sexual Performance: Too Much May Mean Not Enough
by Tom Horvath, PhD., ABPP Macbeth, Act II, Scene 3: [Alcohol] provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance It was not until 1976 that scientific evidence supporting this line from Shakespeare was published. In a study of 16 male volunteers, ages 18-24 (mean age 20), the diameter of erections was approximately 10% larger […]
Anecdotal Account of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy
by Anonymous A psychedelic treatment renaissance is underway, driven by a proliferating body of empirical support. The schedule I status of psychedelic compounds all but suffocated scientific research for decades and continues to stifle the pace of progress. While the weight of excessive bureaucracy continues be a drag on scientific investigation of psychedelics and their […]
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 […]