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 […]
Drug Rehab for Young Adults: High Time for a New Paradigm
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Addictive problems are most common amongst young adults, especially men. Committing to lifelong abstinence is a hard sell for people with most of their lives still ahead. Even AA co-founders Bill W. and Dr. Bob suggested their methods were unlikely to work for people under 40 years old. Yet, when young […]
Outpatient Addiction Treatment for Executives
Life doesn’t necessarily come to a halt when you decide it is time to seek treatment for problematic substance use. The first step in changing maladaptive behaviors is to recognize the behavior is no longer serving you. The second step includes gauging exactly what type of treatment options are best suited for your goals. While […]
CBD Helps Heroin Cravings
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Crises precipitate change. The opioid crisis is catalyzing change in addiction treatment. The tragedies of the opioid crisis may be the reveille that stirs addiction treatment from its walking slumber. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is finally being championed as the frontline defense in the opioid crisis. Not only are advances being made […]