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 […]
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 Recovery Groups for Support
Although Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step groups are far more widely known, there are other addiction support groups worth knowing about. They are listed here in approximate order of size and influence. All of the self-empowering recovery groups support abstinence, with Moderation Management supporting both abstinence and moderation with alcohol. SMART Recovery: Self-Management And […]
Biopsychosocial Model of Recovery Groups
Science has revealed that addiction is far more complex than we formerly thought. As a result, professionals and individuals in recovery have changed their language about addiction and recovery. Addiction is now described as a complex problem, and recovery is described as having biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects. This “biopsychosocial” model of recovery groups […]
Balancing Individual and Community Needs in Addiction
A well-functioning family, community or society needs to have a balance between self-interested behavior, and altruistic or service behavior. If every member of a group pays attention only to his or her own immediate needs, life becomes very difficult quickly. For instance, a hunter-gatherer group that could effectively cooperate to hunt large animals would have more […]
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Moderate Drinking
DIY Moderate Drinking Are you interested in moderating your drinking? Many individuals are! Here are two books which provide everything you need to know about DIY moderate drinking. Responsible Drinking: A Moderation Management Approach for Problem Drinkers This book, by Rotgers, F., Kern, M. & Hoeltzel, R. (CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2002) is the basic […]
Family and Addiction: Two Attitudes That Promote Recovery
A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP 1) Stay focused on the desired outcome, not the process. You may be hoping to find the “right” treatment for a loved one. Rather than insisting that your loved one do this or that (some treatment program you think will be helpful), focus on what you want: no more (or […]
Addiction as a Disease: Understanding the Disadvantages
In the news media, the typical expert describes addiction as a disease. Often these experts work at addiction treatment facilities. It would be easy to conclude that experts agree that addiction is hereditary, incurable, and lifelong. In the addiction field, this view is referred to as the “disease model.” There is significant disagreement about the disease model, but the […]