Brain Surgery for Addiction
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Addiction treatment needs improvement. Exploring new methods is essential to advancing the field. To imagine the latest radical approach to treating addiction one might envision an amalgamation of electro-shock therapy and trepanning. Brain surgery for addiction is not a futuristic concept at the dawn of its conception. On the contrary, brain […]
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in California
The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is hosting its 17th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27th, 2019 from 10AM – 2PM. National Prescription Drug-Take Back Day is a nationwide event that aims to provide a safe, anonymous, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while simultaneously informing […]
Jails, Institutions, and Death: Did 12-Step Programs Get it Wrong?
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Bromides abound in traditional recovery circles, arguably none more common than the folklore fantasy that substance use invariably leads to jails, institutions, and death. If threats, shaming, and fear mongering worked then the United States would be justifiably priggish in its approach to treating addiction. Instead, after nearly a century of tyrannical abstinence […]
Scientists Say James Bond is a Drunk… They’re Wrong.
By Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. By now most are accustomed to so-called addiction experts purporting hair-brained ideas about substance use. Examples of hair-brained ideas from addiction experts include but most certainly are not limited to: don’t give an alcoholic drugs, once an addict always an addict, addicts are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves, there’s […]
How to Provide Basic Addiction Treatment
by Tom Horvath, PhD., ABPP This blog is addressed to psychotherapists who do not view themselves as capable of providing addiction treatment. Many (if not most) therapists have this perspective. However, as I have suggested for many years, individual therapy (possibly supplemented by couple’s and family therapy) is the setting of choice for most individuals […]
Naloxone Guide: Everything You Need to Know
by Cheri Harkleroad Naloxone Guide: Everything You Need to Know This naloxone guide offers all the essential information about naloxone – the lifesaving antidote for opioid overdose. The information here is NOT a substitute for medical advice – it is intended to serve as a general guide to increase overall awareness of naloxone. ALWAYS seek […]
Recovery-a-la-Frank Sinatra: I Did It My Way
Guest post by “Albert” For more years than I care to remember, I hit my head against the 12-step wall. I was that “chronic relapser,” and the guy who picked up a white chip every few weeks or months. I began to believe that I was one of those “unfortunates” who was “constitutionally incapable of […]
SAMHSA Stance on Fentanyl Strips Merits Discussion
By Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Fentanyl Strips: A False Sense of Accomplishment? Accidental overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl continue to rise. Recently in San Diego, people overdosed on cocaine cut with fentanyl. Because fentanyl is cheap and potent, there is more money to be made if popular products like cocaine and xanax are cut with it. […]
Person-First Language in Addiction Treatment is Long Overdue
By Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D. Mental health professions are big on person-first language, and rightly so. Defining people by their problems is widely agreed upon to be below the standard of care. People are much more than their diagnoses, and thus, mental health professions now routinely opt for descriptions like, ‘a person with schizophrenia’ rather than, […]
This Naked Mind: Interview with Annie Grace
To continue our Top Recovery Bloggers of 2018 series, this week’s featured blogger is Annie Grace, who also authored the book This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness and Change Your Life. In addition to her book and blog, she continues to reach those on the recovery journey through her programs, workshops, and podcast. We’re […]