A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP There are many places you might receive assistance for overcoming addiction.  These places are generally referred to as “levels of care.”  By understanding the levels available you can choose the level most suitable for you.  We start with the least complicated and expensive level and work up.  We leave out detoxification...

A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP There are several significant differences between men and women concerning alcohol problems.  For instance, the same amount of alcohol (adjusted for weight) will have a bigger effect on a woman (because her stomach does not detoxify alcohol as effectively as a man’s stomach does), women may experience more medical complications (and...

How do I choose: Individual or group sessions for addiction treatment?  A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP Are you searching for the “right” treatment center for you or a loved one?  This article is written to suggest that pre-established “programs” (individual or group sessions for addiction treatment) of treatment are not the best approach.  Rather, there are...

What are the advantages of group sessions for addiction recovery?  A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D. There is no single correct or best way to recover from addiction.  No element of the recovery process must be completed by all individuals.  Although group sessions are often described as essential to recovery, they are not.  In fact, most people who...

Let the buyer beware about addiction treatment A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP The Latin phrase caveat emptor (“let the buyer beware”) suggests that sellers may not inform buyers of everything buyers might want to know about the purchase they are considering.  Caveat emptor certainly applies when considering services from the highly competitive addiction treatment industry.  This multi-billion dollar industry divides into...

Habitual drug users may find it beneficial to seek addiction treatment sooner rather than later because the long term effects of drugs can lead to long-term depression (LTD). LTD affects memory formation and learning and continued drug use over time will lead to a loss of control where drug users lose many defenses against drug-seeking behavior.  ...

Antismoking campaigns and prevention programs in middle schools may be beneficial in teaching adolescents about the harms of smoking and drinking. Students who have been smoking and drinking in middle school may continue to smoke and drink throughout high school and even be at a higher risk for alcohol abuse in their lifetime. Thus, using evidence-based...

According to previous research, MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), popularly known as Ecstasy, may negatively affect cognition among heavy users. Golding et. al. set out to investigate whether light users and ex-users of MDMA in drug recovery also exhibit deficits in cognitive performance (2007).   The History of MDMA MDMA has an interesting history. It was first synthesized...