Food Diaries vs. Bathroom Scales
By Tom Horvath, PhD Many of us are concerned about our weight. We might check the scale regularly, and not much else. I suggest that a food diary of everything you eat is a much more sensible approach. A simple version is a list of foods you eat at each meal, without listing how much […]
“Big Food” vs. New Weight Loss Meds
by Tom Horvath, PhD Do you consider the food manufacturing companies to be “drug dealers?” Back to that question in a moment. What’s a food manufacturer? A company that creates ultra-processed foods (also known as “hyper-palatable foods”). Ultra-processed foods are manufactured first by taking genuine foods and breaking them into specific components (such as starches, […]
Negativity Bias
Negativity Bias: How Negative Are You? By Tom Horvath, PhD Almost 25 years ago two psychologists coined the term “negativity bias.” It refers to our tendency to focus on information, cues, or ideas that are negative, even when we have positive information around us. For instance, after a meeting in which our ideas are presented, […]
Does Alcohol Protect Against Alzheimer’s Disease?
By Kenneth Anderson, MA Is Moderate Drinking Protective Against Alzheimer’s Disease? Brain Changes with Alzheimer’s Disease Amyloid Beta Plaques We have known for more than a century that the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease are filled with amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Moreover, the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease are severely atrophied […]
Changing Your Mind with Mindfulness Meditation
Neuronal Plasticity, Mindfulness Meditation, and Addiction Recovery by Nicholas A. Nelson, Ph.D. Part 1 of 2 It is not uncommon during active addiction or early in recovery for people to feel that their brain is working somehow differently than before, or to feel like it is going to be impossible to break out of harmful […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]