Neuronal Plasticity, Mindfulness Meditation, and Addiction Recovery by Nicholas A. Nelson, Ph.D. Part 1 of 2 It is not uncommon during active addiction or early in recovery for people to feel that their brain is working somehow differently than before, or to feel like it is going to be impossible to break out of harmful habits and thought patterns. It can feel like the mind is damaged, or operating out of our control. This lack of control, and feeling that something is broken, can lead to a sense of hopelessness. When we look at the brain there is some truth to this feeling - during engagement with problematic addictive behaviors and during early recovery, our brains are not wired in the same way as before these problems took root. Through months, years, or decades of repetiti...

By Tom Horvath, PhD Even if you do not have a specific partner this Valentine's Day, and especially if you do, it’s a great day to engage in relationship enhancing behaviors. You might do something special just for today. In addition to your partner, you could also reach out to someone who is not at all expecting to hear from you (a parent, relative, mentor, friend, etc.): “I know you may not be expecting to hear from me on Valentine’s Day, but when I thought about all the people who mean a lot to me, I realized that thanking you for being you was a great idea. So, I want you to know I appreciate you and am thankful for the role you have played in my life.” Too sappy? Keep in mind that a psychologist wrote it! Any variation that works for you can get the job done. Further, love...

by Lesley Wirth, MA I’m just going to say it: The self-help world needs to reconsider the phrase, “Take responsibility for your life.” Why? It rarely works. It is usually the wrong medicine, offered at the wrong time, to the wrong person. When someone has suffered from loss, injustice, or trauma, telling them to “Take personal responsibility for their reality,” is not helpful. It is damaging. Maybe you've been there: you lay your heart bare to a spiritual coach you believed you could trust, only to have them dismiss your experience by telling you to let go of your "victim consciousness." If you are really lucky, they will ask you what part of you attracted your situation so you could learn from it. I understand people mean well, but words like these can feel like...

by John de Miranda Early in my recovery from an alcohol use disorder I discovered that memoirs and first-person accounts of people struggling with addiction were a useful method to help me deal with the challenges of a life without alcohol. Many of these accounts were uplifting. Some were scary. I remember one in particular A Sensitive Passionate Man published in 1974 by Barbara Mahoney. Her account chronicles life with her husband Sean who died at the age of 45 from cirrhosis of the liver. Despite a life of material and personal success Sean rebutted all attempts from family and friends to intervene in his alcoholism and literally drank himself to death. In my pink cloud naivete I was taken by surprise that not all stories of addiction had a happy ending. I am an instructor in...

By Tom Horvath, PhD Although the following information is very basic, I hope it is a useful reminder for you. You are breathing all the time. With a few minor adjustments breathing can become a powerful tool to support yourself. Start by closing your mouth and breathing through your nose. Probably this step can happen immediately. You can also if you wish focus on the sensation of the air coming in and out of your nose. That focus can also be a helpful distraction technique. Begin to slow down your breathing. It may take many breaths to achieve a significantly slower pace. However, if you can get down to 6 breaths per minute (one every 10 seconds) you have a strong likelihood of lowering your stress level. If you are not sure how to accomplish slowing down, start counting you...

By Tom Horvath, PhD With 2025 now over a week old, we may already be falling short of some of our New Year’s resolutions. Nevertheless, take heart! It is easy to fall into all-or-none thinking about positive change. Please consider the following ideas. Even if you did not make any New Year’s resolutions, you may have thought about self-improvement changes you want to make. The beginning of the year is an obvious time to do so. To the extent you did such thinking (or do it now!), you have acted on step one: identifying a desired change. What actions now make sense? This part is often complicated, but the principle of “small steps” can be very helpful. This may be a time to investigate, experiment, inquire, consult, and otherwise gather information. Keeping mental notes of what y...

By Tom Horvath, PhD This blog will publicize a recent blog post on syringe services from Nora Volkow, MD, the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She states that: Nearly 30 years of research show that providing testing, counseling, and sterile injection supplies to people who inject opioids and other drugs helps prevent transmission of infectious diseases, without increasing drug-related or other crimes in the vicinity. Contrary to worries that syringe services programs (SSPs) will encourage or promote drug use, evidence shows that they more often do the opposite, linking people with addiction to effective treatment and even helping prevent overdose deaths. There is no scientist or professional who is more credible on this subject than Dr. Volkow. Her stanc...

Tom Horvath, PhD, ABPP In preparation for celebrating our 40th anniversary next month, we are updating pages on our website. Today we focus on: https://www.practicalrecovery.com/about-us/ If you have scanned other websites, you may find language identical or similar to ours about what the facility provides. However, having these words on their website does not mean that the facility acts accordingly. If you want to determine what a facility in fact provides, the questions identified here may be helpful: https://www.practicalrecovery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/The-Questions-Final-1.pdf The marketing of treatment facilities is a fiercely competitive endeavor. Facilities may say what they think sounds good, without actually providing it. Perhaps Practical Recovery should...

Update on Tobacco Use and Health Disparities in the US: A New Surgeon General’s Report By Tom Horvath, PhD On 11/19/24, the Surgeon General released Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death, Addressing Health Disparities. This report updates the report issued in 1998, Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial Ethnic Minority Groups. Below are some key points of the current report (the 35th on smoking and health since the landmark 1964 report), and observations about them. Not included in the report is the fact that tobacco use has ironies that often get overlooked. Tobacco use is not a leading cause of individuals attending addiction treatment or mutual help groups, but it remains according to this report the leading cause of preventable death and disease (with over 480,000 premature ...

By Tom Horvath, PhD, ABPP Although many of us have warm memories about Thanksgiving spent with family and friends, there may be some painful memories as well. If you're looking for tips on coping with Thanksgiving, and the problems that might arise, consider the following goals: If avoiding squabbles is your goal, can you sit on your own opinions for one day? Say nothing, or say “I don’t agree with these ideas, but this isn’t the time or place to discuss them.” Repeat “this isn’t the time or place” as needed. If your goal is not drinking, or drinking less, you might need some preparation. Will a family member or two be “in the know” and support you? If you are likely to be asked questions (“why are you not drinking?”) do you have an honest but not necessarily revealing ans...