If We Have Our Own Why
By Tom Horvath, PhD “If we have our own why, we shall get along with almost any how.” –Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, Maxims and Arrows, #12, translated (1954) by Walter Kaufman, originally published 1889. Our Own Why There is a range of “whys” that explain how we behave. We have in-the-moment behaviors like […]
We Are Disturbed Not By Events
By Tom Horvath, PhD “We are disturbed not by events, but by our views about them.” – Epictetus, 60-138 CE Bad events happen to all of us. To some of us, they happen to a great extent. Whether we have first-world problems, third-world problems, or something else, our problems focus our attention. We want to […]
Can a Single Episode of Extreme Binge Drinking Change the Brain?
by Kenneth Anderson, MA The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as drinking enough alcohol to reach a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, i.e., to become legally intoxicated. For men, this typically means drinking five or more US standard drinks in a two-hour period. For women, this […]
Looking for some inspiration?
By Tom Horvath, PhD I was recently contacted by a website putting together a list of 50 very brief accounts, including before and after pictures, about individuals resolving addictive problems. I was pleased that they included a few quotes from me, about the process of change. https://www.boredpanda.com/best-all-times-before-after-addicts-transformation/ Perhaps the most important fact to know about […]
Gaining Strength from Our Successes
By Tom Horvath, PhD Although occasionally we hear someone say “I’m addicted to everything,” it appears that most of us deeply enjoy only a few substances or activities. You would not have time for all of them! This fact means that there are many or at least some substances that you do not feel strongly […]
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Using My Muscles to Relax My Mind By Tom Horvath, PhD Have you had moments when you believed “I cannot relax” or “I cannot relax unless I use?” Have you then used or drank because it was your best method to relax? Sometimes we do need to relax! The good news is […]
Does Alcohol Kill Brain Cells? Part Three
Part Three from the Series: Does Alcohol Kill Brain Cells? Research on Clinical Samples by Kenneth Anderson, MA Stavro et al. (2013) conducted a review of clinical studies of cognitive impairments in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and their reversal with abstinence. IQ was found to be unaffected by AUD; there were no significant […]
Sources of Pleasure
What are your sources of pleasure? By Tom Horvath, PhD If you’ve had addictive problems, you may easily recall experiences (with substances or activities) that you found intensely pleasurable. Addictive behavior can provide that! However, regardless of how much you are still having that type of experience, you can understand and appreciate yourself much better […]
Does Alcohol Kill Brain Cells? Part Two
This week, Kenneth Anderson, MA, explores MRI and brain shrinkage research in part 2 of the series, “Does Alcohol Kill Braincells?” Part 1 can be found here. By Kenneth Anderson, MA A 2001 study by Kubota et al. performed MRIs on 1,432 employees and family members (1,061 men and 371 women) of a large Japanese […]
Radical Acceptance in Addiction, Recovery, and Parenting
Amanda Eversmann of Life Process Program, on Radical Acceptance in Addiction, Recovery, and Parenting I entered on a ten-year addiction because my mother didn’t radically accept me and I accordingly didn’t accept myself. I had to first learn to accept myself, and also my children. Then I radically accepted my mom. 1. My Upbringing I […]