Taking Personal Responsibility Has Become Personal
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 […]
The Power of Memoirs
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 Simple Relaxation Technique: Slow Breathing
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 […]
Persistent vs. Impulsive Self-Improvement
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 […]
Syringe Services: Helping Drug Injectors Use More Safely is Beneficial
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 […]
What Practical Recovery Does, and Why
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 […]
Report on Tobacco Use and Health Disparities
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 […]
Coping with Thanksgiving
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 […]
Practical Recovery to Celebrate 40th Anniversary January, 2025
By Tom Horvath, PhD If you are a behavioral health professional and would like an invitation to this event in late January, please email Susie.Lee@practicalrecovery.com. Practical Recovery Turning 40 In gratitude, we are preparing an event that will be both party and networking event. Over the years we have established many relationships in the behavioral […]
Differences between AA and SMART Recovery
By Tom Horvath, PhD On October 22, 2024, in Lisbon, Portugal, SMART Recovery held its first international conference, in conjunction with the Lisbon Addictions 2024 conference. Lisbon Addictions drew over 2,000 attendees. SMART’s event only had about 50, but they attended from Indonesia, Australia, Hong Kong, Africa, the US, and throughout Europe. SMART was also […]