Introducing Collaborative Addiction Care to the Client
Practical Recovery aims to offer ideal addiction treatment for any substance or activity addiction. We describe our approach as “collaborative addiction care.” Because each client is unique, and we are fully collaborative, no two treatment plans are alike. Hence we do not offer a “program.” Our treatment intensity can be as high as alcohol and […]
Is Collaborative Addiction Treatment Effective?
Unfortunately, Practical Recovery does not yet have any long-term follow-up data on our clients. The task of designing the data collection is daunting. No two clients do the same treatment! However, we are in the process of designing a basic data collection system. We expect it to reveal that our clients do about as well […]
Introduction to Collaborative Addiction Treatment
Why consider a collaborative addiction treatment relationship with someone who, by definition, is making very bad decisions? Addicts and alcoholics keep using and drinking and are often irresponsible in other ways. How could they meaningfully contribute to treatment decisions? Don’t they need to be told what to do, and be made to do it long […]
Leading Edge Psychotherapy: The Psychotherapy Team
A psychotherapy team involves multiple therapists who meet successively with the same client for individual therapy. Leading edge psychotherapy teams have begun to emerge, in varying degrees, in a few state-of-the-art addiction treatment facilities. Their emergence may have occurred somewhat serendipitously but as Pasteur remarked “chance favors the prepared mind.” To my mind, the experience […]
Treating Psychiatric and Addiction Comorbidity with a Cognitive-behavioral (non-12-step) Approach
As more addiction treatment programs treat comorbidity it seems likely that client confusion about treatment approach will increase. Comorbidity is here defined as having both a mental health disorder (such as anxiety or depression) as well as an addictive disorder. Client confusion might arise because CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) has become the treatment of choice […]
In AA Social Support is More Important Than a Higher Power
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step groups (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Marijuana Anonymous, etc.) suggest that to recover from addiction you must accept that you are powerless to recover on your own. Only with inspiration from a higher power, recognition of your character defects, and fellowship in the group, among other steps, will you […]
Are Non-12-Step Recovery Approaches Effective?
There are many effective alternatives to the 12-step addiction recovery approach. This article will describe the major treatments and support groups that one might choose if interested in and answer the question: are non-12-step recovery approaches effective? These alternatives need to be widely known because individuals who might never attend an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting […]
Choices in Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Should individuals who need help have choices when it comes to treatment and recovery from addiction? Imagine talking to your child or partner, who is obviously drinking or drugging too much. “Why don’t you get it? It’s SO obvious! You are becoming addicted! Look at the damage you are causing, to yourself, to me, and […]
Debunking the Myth about AA
The primary myth about AA is that “it is the only thing that works.” Of course, like other myths, there is some truth in this one. Many people assert that AA saved them or others they know well from alcohol problems. They may be correct. However, no one knows. From a scientific perspective, the effectiveness […]
Self-empowering vs. Powerless Recovery
Debunking the myth about AA Should people who need addiction recovery have choices? Are non-12-step recovery approaches effective? Why choose a non-12-step recovery approach? In AA social support is more important than a higher power Treating psychiatric and addiction comorbidity with a cognitive-behavioral (non-12-step) approach Leading edge psychotherapy: The psychotherapy team