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 […]
Mindful Breathing for Reduced Stress
By Tom Horvath, PhD, ABPP One of the simplest but most powerful ways to reduce stress is to focus on breathing. Although books have been written on this subject, the following ideas may be a sufficient guide for you. Because we breathe continuously, you will have lots of opportunity to practice! Less is More Perhaps […]
Seeking Out and Managing Discomfort
by Tom Horvath, PhD A well-lived life needs to have significant and possibly considerable amounts of discomfort in it. For instance, do you want to exercise well, maintain a certain weight, get up early, work hard at something, or hold your tongue in an intense discussion? You are likely to feel uncomfortable! The key, then, […]
Harm Reduction Tips from the Experts
by Thaddeus Camlin, PsyD Leading harm-reduction experts, April Smith and Kenneth Anderson, recently released an article outlining harm-reduction tips for safer drinking amidst shelter-in-place restrictions. Many are choosing to abstain entirely, others, not so much. Many, many industries are hit hard by the societal shutdowns, however, the adult beverage industry is not one of them. […]
5 Ways of Coping with Isolation
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. As the late, great Jim Morrison crooned, strange days have found us. As millions adjust to social life filtered almost exclusively through the cold, unforgiving pixilation of digital screens, the need for genuine connection is more intense than ever. Below are five ways of coping with isolation that do not involve […]
Drug & Alcohol Cravings: 10 Useful Methods to Cope
Coping with drug and alcohol cravings is a major component of changing problematic addictive behavior, so much so that the DSM5 added craving as a diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders. It is next to certain that any change in habitual behavior will at some point result in urges or cravings for the old behavior. […]
Technology Addiction: ‘Likes’ Are the New ‘It’ Drug
Technology Addiction: ‘Likes’ Are the New ‘It’ Drug by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. In the world of technology, the customers are the advertisers and the product is our attention. Tech giants like google, apple, twitter, and facebook sell advertisers access to our eyeballs. In an age of unparalleled information abundance, our attention is increasingly scarce. The […]
Changing Habits: Learning to Cope with the Urges
Adapted from Pages 32 and 34 of the SMART Recovery Handbook, 3rd Edition This post has been updated from the original version that first ran in 2015. With so many people on day two of their 2018 New Year’s resolutions, it seems appropriate to offer some basic strategies for coping with urges that tempt us […]
How “Triggers” Steal Your Freedom in Recovery
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Much is being said about changing the nomenclature in the treatment of problematic substance use. The latest diagnostic manual (DSM-5) no longer uses the term ‘addiction.’ Anne Fletcher wrote about the value of cleaning up the language of addiction using powerful comparisons to other avenues of treatment. She astutely pointed out […]
9 Reasons Not to Drink or Use During the Holiday Season
Need some extra reasons not to drink or use this holiday season? We’ve got you covered with these 9 benefits of staying sober. Print out the list and hang it up at home, keep it in your purse or pocket when you go out, or just take a mental note to remind yourself why you’re […]