by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP When I began specializing in addiction treatment in 1985 I affiliated with the New Horizons outpatient network of providers. To my knowledge none of the original providers (nearly two dozen at one point) are still in practice. However, one newer practitioner works in Hawaii. Mark Turansky became involved some years after I left (to focus on the development of Practical Recovery). Mark and I met in 2014. I still appreciate many aspects of the New Horizons approach. In this article I focus on that approach and Mark’s activities. To place any recovery approach in context, nothing works for everyone, and almost any approach will work for someone. The challenge to providers is matching services, approaches and options with individuals who might benefit from ...

29-Year-old former Braves pitcher, Tommy Hanson, was found unresponsive by tattoo artist Brandon Bond at a friend's home in Newnan, Georgia on Sunday. Hanson was taken to the hospital where he remained in a coma until his passing on November 9, 2015. While the death is still under investigation overdose is suspected, as mentioned in several places, including on Twitter. According to reports, a conversation between the reporting officer and emergency room personnel, led the officer to believe overdose was the cause of death. While the autopsy was completed on November 11, it could be 3 months before the toxicology report is completed and released, which will indicate the official cause of death. Our hearts go out to Tommy's loved ones as we continue to work toward increased awarene...

Lamar Odom on Life Support After Drug Overdose Lamar Odom was found unconscious on Tuesday, October 13th, in Nevada. Reports say Odom was found at 3:30 pm, and was later rushed to the hospital. While at first there was some confusion regarding the cause of Lamar's condition, it was later reported that he had several drugs in his system, including cocaine and opiates. He is currently recovering after having been on life support due to a drug overdose. This comes during the month of Substance Abuse Prevention Month - a month dedicated by the White House as a month-long effort to raise awareness and prevent substance abuse and promote healthy individuals and communities. The campaign's aim is to reach out to schools and workplaces and empower individuals to make healthy decisions ...

Journey Drummer Deen Castronovo Sentenced to Probation and Counseling for Domestic Violence and Drug Abuse Journey drummer, Deen Castronovo was issued a sentence Monday of 4 years probation and mandatory counseling for domestic violence and drug abuse. 51-year-old Castronovo pleaded guilty to multiple counts of domestic violence, menacing, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion. According to an article on the San Diego Union Tribune website, dated July 10, 2015, the rock band's drummer stated drug addiction as the reason for his actions. This is the drummer's second sentencing on charges of domestic violence. In 2012, Deen Castronovo was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and anger management classes. Marion County District Attorney states Castronovo faces more than ...

23-year-old Lakeland, Florida woman, Whitney Beall streamed real-time video on Periscope of herself driving drunk. The Persicope video (below) shows Ms. Beall repeatedly stating that she "is drunk," at one point making a right-hand turn, when she meant to go left. She admittedly had no idea where she was, stating, "this is bad guys." While some Periscope viewers were trying to discern whether the video was legitimate, several others pleaded with the woman to stop driving and reported her to police, who then logged on and saw the intoxicated woman's live video stream. Officer Mike Kellner eventually caught up to Beall and pulled her over, but not before the intoxicated driver hit a sign, a curb, and allegedly blew out her right front tire. Reports state police could smell alcoh...

by Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. Many people see binge drinking as a harmless activity…a good way to relax on the weekend after a stressful week, or a way to celebrate a special occasion. In some settings, such as on a college campus, binge drinking is considered by many to be the norm. However, binge drinking can have harmful effects and can even signify a serious alcohol problem. Read on to learn a little bit more about the potential dangers of binge drinking. Some facts about binge drinking: According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a binge is defined as drinking five or more alcoholic beverages on a single occasion. Binge drinking is not uncommon in the U.S. In fact, the CDC estimates that one in six adults binges four times per month. Wha...

PRACTICAL RECOVERY AWARDED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE ACCREDITATION FROM THE JOINT COMMISSION (San Diego – 9/21/2015) Practical Recovery today announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care. Practical Recovery underwent a rigorous on-site survey in August 2015. During the review, compliance with behavioral health care standards related to several areas, including care, treatment, and services; environment of care; leadership; and screening procedures for the early detection of imminent harm was evaluated. On-site observa...

The SEATA site is poised to become the leading resource for finding harm reduction and self-empowering US addiction treatment and recovery services. “Self-empowerment” is used to contrast the approach with powerlessness-based services. As Step 1 of Alcoholics Anonymous states, “We admitted we were powerless.” A SEATA provider will work to enhance the client’s capacity for self-regulation, with the ultimate goal (even if never realized) of having sufficient self-regulation to prevent problematic addictive behavior, rather than viewing oneself as indefinitely powerless. The site offers only free listings. These listings should encourage participation by all appropriate providers. The site also allows for reviews (as Amazon, Yelp and many other sites do). Free listings should also el...

by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP This blog is a follow-up to last month’s blog about an evolutionary approach to understanding problematic addictive behavior. To summarize, that blog suggested that addictive behavior is normal human behavior. We all normally crave (desire, have urges for) food, sex and the attention of others. These three primary addictive behaviors are strongly reinforced as pleasurable activities, and they are essential to our survival. The modern world also provides us with other substances and activities that, through experience, we might also learn to crave. These addictive behaviors are not essential to our survival, but sometimes we pursue them as if they were. Although involvement with these secondary addictive behaviors does not necessarily lead to problems, it d...

By Guest Author Lesley Wirth, Consultant for The Restoration Inn There seems to come a time in everyone’s journey where one stands at the precipice of claiming that which is rightfully theirs: a connection to his or her inherent value as a worthy and deeply lovable person. In hindsight, I see that this was where I was standing years ago, as I began to reclaim my identity from that of a “broken” person to a woman who simply needed some love, acceptance, and assistance. I was broken-hearted not broken. As a woman who has had a 20-year journey with food compulsion, eating disorders, and exercise compulsion, I will be the first to tell you there is no magic formula for recovery. The solution is letting go of the misperceptions of ourselves, one at a time, and becoming more open and ho...