Understanding the SMART Recovery USA Position on Goals
by A. Thomas Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP As part of my celebration of SMART Recovery’s 25th Anniversary, this blog is devoted to considering the recently released SMART Recovery USA Position on Goals: “SMART Recovery is abstinence oriented. Our meetings and tools are designed to help participants stop problematic addictive behavior.” I offer the following interpretation of […]
Can Cannabis Cure Cancer?
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Pretty much anyone who likes to think knows that truth in cannabis propaganda for the past century was about as scarce as a direct answer in politics. Reefer madness told us that ingesting a single cannabis joint would make us rape and murder. Nixon and his cronies put cannabis in the […]
Stand By Family No Matter What
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Family is forever, or at least, that’s what the chintzy wall stencils say. During times of hardship, sickness, death, misfortune, mistakes, and malaise it is helpful to rest assured that our families will stand by us and help us. My esteemed mentor, Dr. Horvath, often says that 90% of social support […]
SMART Recovery® at 25: An Overview
by Tom Horvath, PhD, ABPP In September, 2019, SMART Recovery celebrated its 25th anniversary, at its annual conference in Chicago, IL. I have been involved with SMART since before it began operating under that name in October, 1994. It was previously the Rational Recovery Self-Help Network. I was president of SMART for 20 years, and […]
What is Considered Binge Drinking? (Hint: It’s Not Just a College Fad)
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. The term ‘binge-drinking’ generally conjures up images of frat boys in pastel polos guzzling litres of PBR out of a homemade beer bong, or something along those lines. The stereotype is that binge-drinking is a college thing, not a mature adult thing. The truth, according to the current dean at USC’s […]
SMART Recovery Celebrates 25th Anniversary
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Often, a call to reflection upon past achievements might be interpreted as a prelude to a swan song. When our favorite musicians release greatest hits albums we move from excitement to nostalgia. When filmmakers reboot and update original creations, we hear the silent reverberations of writer’s block echoing through the gaping […]
Johns Hopkins Opens Psychedelic Research Center
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. They said acid fries your brain and makes you jump off buildings. They said shrooms make your brain bleed and that’s why they cause hallucinations. They said pot makes people murder their families. I don’t know exactly who ‘they’ are, but boy were they wrong. The prestigious Johns Hopkins University just […]
AA: Who it Helps, Who it Harms, Who it Kills, & Why (Preface)
AA: Who it Helps, Who it Harms, Who it Kills, & Why, by Edward W. Wilson, PhD Kindle edition available on Amazon Print edition, 66 pages, available here. Preface by Tom Horvath, PhD (reprinted here by permission) The psychological development of children is well studied. We know what children at different developmental levels can […]
MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Reduces Alcohol Relapse, New Study Shows
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. When it comes to addiction treatment, it is well-known that the United States is embarrassingly and shamefully behind the rest of the industrialized world. It is no surprise then that evidence for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy reducing alcohol relapse is coming out of the UK. We know MDMA-assisted psychotherapy was designated breakthrough status […]
HBO’s Euphoria TV Show Misses Mark on Addiction
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. HBO’s hit television series, Euphoria, pushed the envelope on many important topics, except one – addiction. The show depicted a biracial romance between two women, one of whom was transgender. The show offered gritty, raw depictions of sexual assault, teenage substance use, physical and emotional abuse, and abortion. When it comes to […]