The Biggest Lies in Recovery, pt. II: Recovery Failure
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. The Biggest Lies in Recovery, pt. II – Recovery Failure This week’s topic is the second installment in a series exploring lies that have permeated the recovery culture. Last week’s article challenged the lie that success in recovery is perfect abstinence. This week’s article challenges the closely related lie of recovery […]
The Biggest Lies in Recovery, pt. 1
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. This week’s topic is the first installment in a series that will explore lies that have permeated the recovery culture. Lies selected for critique will share a common theme of being detrimental to progress. The first lie on the chopping block is the lie of perfection. How strange would it be […]
The Antidote to Depression
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Depression and substance use often co-exist. Substance use is a common method of coping with depression. Thus, abruptly stopping the use of substances can result in the intensification of underlying depression. It is important to have a specific understanding of what your personal experience of depression is in order to overcome […]
How “Triggers” Steal Your Freedom in Recovery
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Much is being said about changing the nomenclature in the treatment of problematic substance use. The latest diagnostic manual (DSM-5) no longer uses the term ‘addiction.’ Anne Fletcher wrote about the value of cleaning up the language of addiction using powerful comparisons to other avenues of treatment. She astutely pointed out […]
The Individualized Intensive Outpatient Program
by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP Practical Recovery’s IIOP The Individualized Intensive Outpatient Program To be clear: An Individualized Intensive Outpatient Program (IIOP) is not an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). An IOP is a group that typically meets three hours per day, three days per week. In addition, there may be one individual session per week. […]
Dealing With Difficult People
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. We all deal with people who bug us every day. Sometimes the people who annoy us are our neighbors, our co-workers, or our family members. Improving our ways of dealing with difficult people can help us enrich our own lives and decrease urges to use substances to cope with uncomfortable feelings. […]
Linda Lewis: “I Swore it Would Not Happen to Me.”
Linda Lewis shares her story. by Linda Lewis, Recovery Maintenance Counselor for Practical Recovery I’ve been preparing for my role as an addiction counselor all my life. From the time I was born, I was surrounded by people with addiction problems… life and death problems. Our family has a white sheep, one, my aunt Lois. […]
Rethinking Responsibility in Recovery
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Many lively debates arise in discussions on the relationship between freedom and responsibility. Many individuals think that with increased responsibility comes decreased freedom. Challenging this notion can be a pivotal turning point in recovery from problematic substance use. Join me in a practice of rethinking responsibility in recovery. It is a […]
What if the insurance companies are right?
By Reya Kost, Psy.D. According to Fonthill Counseling, “Insurance companies count on your ignorance, laziness and distractibility to avoid paying for services they are legally obligated to cover.” Any person who has been responsible for getting treatment authorized, or utilization review, will tell you it is like going to battle. The treatment staff is armed with what they […]
Rebuilding Your Life After Addiction, Pt. 2
Rebuilding Your Life after Recovery, Pt. 2: Time Management Last week, we covered work ethic in terms of rebuilding your life after recovery. This week, we cover how to better manage your professional and personal life with time management skills. We all have busy lives managing several parts of our professional and personal life. Do […]