Is “Vitamin No” the Best Self-Care Supplement?
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Self-care is frequently pushed as a key to wellbeing. In the realm of addictive problems, family members are encouraged to put ‘self-care’ first as a way of curbing over-involvement in the lives of someone with addictive problems. People with addictive problems are encouraged to find healthier ways to practice self-care. Therapists are trained to […]
5 Factors to Consider Before Staging an Addiction Intervention
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. If a loved one is struggling with addictive problems and not interested in treatment, the overwhelming message from society is that staging an addiction intervention is the best way to help. Interventions, like the ones depicted on television, generally involve a paid interventionist who coaches family members and friends on […]
Addiction & The New Decade
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Milestones are opportunities to reflect and refine. Each New Year many resolve to make important changes, and such resolutions can carry even more weight when years stack up and we move into new decades and new centuries. The 21st century has already seen significant change when it comes to understanding and […]
Addiction is a Natural Response to an Unnatural World
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. There are no known examples of addiction in the natural world. There are, however, ample examples of animals shifting their consciousness with substances, a favorite of which is the infamous drunken moose who got himself stuck in an apple tree. Even though animals often experiment with substances, the only examples of […]
Technology Addiction: Put Down the Device & Get Into Life
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Addiction is frequently mischaracterized in binary terms – us and them, normies and addicts. The truth is that addictive behavior is universal and is, in a very basic sense, one of many manifestations of the way the brain naturally learns and develops. The more we accurately understand addiction as normal, universal […]
Understanding the SMART Recovery USA Position on Goals
by A. Thomas Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP As part of my celebration of SMART Recovery’s 25th Anniversary, this blog is devoted to considering the recently released SMART Recovery USA Position on Goals: “SMART Recovery is abstinence oriented. Our meetings and tools are designed to help participants stop problematic addictive behavior.” I offer the following interpretation of […]
What is Considered Binge Drinking? (Hint: It’s Not Just a College Fad)
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. The term ‘binge-drinking’ generally conjures up images of frat boys in pastel polos guzzling litres of PBR out of a homemade beer bong, or something along those lines. The stereotype is that binge-drinking is a college thing, not a mature adult thing. The truth, according to the current dean at USC’s […]
Johns Hopkins Opens Psychedelic Research Center
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. They said acid fries your brain and makes you jump off buildings. They said shrooms make your brain bleed and that’s why they cause hallucinations. They said pot makes people murder their families. I don’t know exactly who ‘they’ are, but boy were they wrong. The prestigious Johns Hopkins University just […]
MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Reduces Alcohol Relapse, New Study Shows
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. When it comes to addiction treatment, it is well-known that the United States is embarrassingly and shamefully behind the rest of the industrialized world. It is no surprise then that evidence for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy reducing alcohol relapse is coming out of the UK. We know MDMA-assisted psychotherapy was designated breakthrough status […]
HBO’s Euphoria TV Show Misses Mark on Addiction
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. HBO’s hit television series, Euphoria, pushed the envelope on many important topics, except one – addiction. The show depicted a biracial romance between two women, one of whom was transgender. The show offered gritty, raw depictions of sexual assault, teenage substance use, physical and emotional abuse, and abortion. When it comes to […]