By Devon Berkheiser In early recovery, many people face a choice: whether to continue friendships with people who may still be using or to end those friendships in order to protect their own sobriety. This is not always an easy decision to make. Some using buddies may actually be long-term friends, and it can be hard to handle another important loss when you’re already dealing with so many changes in your life. Additionally, you may not have sober friends, which leaves you with the option of going back to old friendships or essentially starting over, which can feel overwhelming. If you do decide to maintain friendships with friends who are not sober, here are tips to help you manage the situation: 1. Evaluate the risk Some using buddies may be supportive of your new sobriety while ...

by Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. For members of AA/NA, making amends is part of the program. The 9th step of the 12 steps is to make direct amends to people that have been hurt. Practical Recovery and SMART Recovery don’t have a specific recommendation about making amends, but many people in recovery want to repair and rebuild their relationships. In order to do so, it’s often necessary to address hurt that has been caused by your addictive behaviors. Here are some tips for making amends… the Practical Recovery Way. 1. Acknowledge your role The first step toward repairing relationships is taking responsibility for your role in their breakdown. When feeling ashamed, it’s tempting to avoid addressing the issue altogether or try to deflect those difficult feelings by blaming the other pers...

Is being middle aged a risk factor for drug use? We didn’t think so, until now. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal looked at the increase in drug abuse, drug-related arrests and overdoses among older adults. Why are we seeing this trend? Well, it appears that as Baby Boomers are moving into later middle age, they are bringing their habits with them. For many Boomers, growing up in the turbulent 60s was synonymous with substance use (and lots of it), and many still identify with that phase in their lives. While there are several reasons aging could trigger drug use, one reason is immediately clear: aging can be physically painful. With age comes ailing bodies. With ailing bodies often come surgeries, pain, sickness and ill-health. Understandably, the ailments of age are often...

Are you wondering how much it costs to go to drug and alcohol rehab? The fees for residential rehab range widely, from under $5,000 per month to well over 10 times that amount. What is an appropriate cost of rehab, and what should it include? There are some obvious costs (as well as some hidden expenses) that affect the quality of your experience and possibly your outcomes. There are many things to consider when looking for the right treatment setting for your client, yourself or a loved one. Factors that Determine the Cost of Rehab The House In California any single family home can be licensed for up to six beds, without requiring special zoning approval. These houses-turned-rehabs vary widely in terms of size, location, and amenities. Some rehabs offer private bedrooms for all, ot...

By Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. Just as there are many different ways to recover, there are many different resources available to help in recovery. One great resource is books, and there are practically an unlimited number of options! From self-help books to autobiographical accounts, here are our picks for interesting and inspiring recovery-oriented books: 1. "Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom," by Rick Hanson This book focuses on more than just addiction, exploring how readers can work toward greater overall well-being. It provides information about the core functions of the brain (regulating, learning, valuing), along with practical applications of neuroscience to everyday life. 2. "Her Best Kept Secret," by Gabrielle Glaser In this info...

By Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. Recovery is a major change that affects your entire lifestyle. When your energy is not spent on obtaining or using a desired substance, you might wonder what to do with your time or how to exist in “normal” life. Additionally, it’s common for people in early recovery to experience something of a slump after the first few weeks of sobriety. Perhaps you were expecting everything to be magically better once you got sober, but instead feel disappointed with the somewhat mundane nature of life in recovery. Although it can be a big transition, there are some things that you can do in order to make the adjustment to regular life easier. Here are 5 tips for getting used to normal life: 1. Learn to tolerate boredom and discomfort While we all want to experien...

Dr. Horvath talks to KUSI news about study drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin and the importance of finding balance between studying and enjoying the college life. KUSI News - San Diego, CA

Looking for some additional recovery support? While 12-step support networks such as AA and NA are the most widely-known, it’s important to know that, just as with addiction treatment, you have choices when it comes to recovery support. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of self-empowering organizations that offer resources for mutual- and self-help support. The Best Approach to Recovery We strongly believe that the best approach to recovery is the one that works for you. You may find one of these organizations to be just what you need. Or, you may find the support you need through 12-step oriented groups. Maybe you’ll even decide to combine different approaches and customize your recovery support to fit your needs. Whatever you decide, remember it’s your journey – choose the path that’...

Are you interested in moderating or cutting back your drinking? Many individuals are! Here are two books which provide everything you need to know about moderate drinking. Responsible Drinking: A Moderation Management Approach for Problem Drinkers This book, by Rotgers, F., Kern, M. & Hoeltzel, R. (CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2002) is the basic text of Moderation Management (MM), a support group which helps individuals moderate drinking, or abstain. The first two authors are addiction experts who also volunteer on MM’s Board of Directors. The final author was successful in the MM program. MM offers a summary of its program on its website, and you might wish to start there: www.moderation.org. This book, which provides in-depth coverage of MM’s rationale, the scientific rese...

Porn Addiction Pornography and Relationships: For Better or Worse? Originally written by David H. Jacobs, Ph.D., revised and edited by Practical Recovery Staff I’ve repeatedly read that the internet is most frequently used for viewing pornography. This leads me to believe that a lot of people, presumably mostly men, are viewing porn. All the men who have come to me for help with an internet porn addiction have one thing in common: their wives (sometimes girlfriends) have caught them looking at porn. This, in turn, created a relationship crisis. The woman’s position is that the man must immediately seek treatment and end the behavior, while the position of the man is that the only way to end the relationship crisis is to immediately seek treatment. As you can see, these two po...