For people who’ve made positive changes in their lives, holidays can be slippery spots. Individuals who have quit drinking, smoking, or using drugs, people recovering from compulsive gambling or overeating, and people who have been substituting healthier behaviors for unhealthy ones, may be at increased risk of lapses or relapses when holidays approach. Celebrations, added… Continue Reading Holiday Lapses

I was interviewed for an article in Addiction Professional magazine, on the subject of “Training for New Settings.” The author also spoke to my colleague, Dr. Joseph Troiani, who is the director of the Substance Abuse Certificate Program at Adler School of Professional Psychology. The article examined new developments in treatment and the implications for training… Continue Reading Interviewed for Addiction Professional Magazine

I recently attended a training workshop presented by Gateway Foundation at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. The presenter, David Mee-Lee, M.D., was one of the editors of the criteria used by substance abuse counselors to guide placement into treatment. His “take-away” message was that treatment professionals need to become experts at meeting clients “where… Continue Reading Advances in Addiction Treatment – 2012

I attended a conference today on synthetic cannabinoid drugs, such as “Spice,” K-2, and “bath salts.” These are drugs made by altering the chemical properties of an existing drugs, primarily THC (cannabis, or marijuana). Although their popularity seems to have followed from the popularity of “club drugs” such as ecstasy, they are not chemically based… Continue Reading Synthetic Cannabinoids – A Scary Brew

I have been talking this week to some individuals who are Facilitators and Advisors to SMART Recovery groups in Chicago, and have learned that more meetings are taking place than ever before. This is a positive development for people struggling with drug and alcohol dependence, and for the professionals who need self-help resources to provide… Continue Reading SMART Recovery expands Chicagoland meetings

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has issued a new definition of “Addiction” as of August, 2011. This definition stresses the neurobehavioral aspects of addictive disorders and essentially defines them as “brain diseases.”

I spent the day today at the Northern Illinois Employee Assistance Professionals Association annual conference. There were some excellent presentations and the opportunity to network with a great many EAP and treatment professionals.

(Author’s note: This post follows from the earlier post on new findings about addiction. I had originally added this as a comment to further discuss alternatives to AA and other 12-step approaches. I have moved that comment into this separate post.) S.M.A.R.T. Recovery (Self-Management and Recovery Training) was started by a group of mental health… Continue Reading Choices in self-help for substance use disorders

Self-help and empowerment are better tools than self-downing and feeling defective. Continue Reading New research reports on addiction