5 min read Alternatives to AA: Evidence-Based Recovery Options
AA isn't the only path to recovery. Explore evidence-based alternatives that may work better for your situation.
7 min read Alcohol & Prescription Drugs: Dangerous Combinations
Mixing alcohol with prescription medications? The combinations that can be dangerous and how to stay safe.
10 min read Alcohol Harm Reduction: Drinking Less Without Quitting
Harm reduction means reducing the damage drinking causes without requiring abstinence. When the approach works, when it does not, what it looks like.
7 min read Alcohol Use Disorder Spectrum: Mild to Severe AUD
Not sure if you're an alcoholic? Alcohol Use Disorder exists on a spectrum from mild to severe. Find out where you fall and what treatment fits.
9 min read Binge Drinking vs Alcoholism: What's the Real Difference?
Is binge drinking the same as alcoholism? Why the two overlap but aren't identical, and why most binge drinkers don't realize they have a problem.
12 min read Can an Alcoholic Learn to Drink in Moderation?
Can someone with an alcohol problem ever drink moderately again? Dr. Arnold Washton draws on 50 years of clinical experience to answer this question honestly.
10 min read The Changing View of Alcohol Problems
How our understanding of alcohol problems has evolved beyond the disease model, and what it means for modern, evidence-based substance use treatment.
5 min read When Your Young Adult Comes Home from College with a Problem
College-age substance use can escalate quickly. How to tell normal experimentation from genuine cause for concern, and how to respond.
4 min read The Drink Smartly Program
Dr. Washton's structured Drink Smartly program helps adults reduce their drinking and develop a healthier relationship with alcohol without requiring full abstinence.
9 min read Anxiety and Drinking in High-Achieving Women
Anxiety and alcohol use frequently co-occur in high-achieving women. How the pattern develops and what evidence-based treatment looks like.
5 min read Treating the Whole Person: Why Dual Diagnosis Matters
Substance use rarely exists alone. Anxiety, depression, and trauma often fuel the cycle. Effective treatment must address both at the same time.
8 min read Finding Your Off Switch: Controlling Your Drinking
Can't stop at one or two drinks? Strategies to develop a reliable off switch and stay within intended limits.
5 min read Our Four-Step Approach
Dr. Washton's structured four-step approach to alcohol treatment for executives: assessment, individualized planning, treatment, and ongoing prevention.
7 min read Harm Reduction & Moderate Drinking Alternatives
Not ready to quit entirely? Harm reduction and moderation offer a middle path for people who want to drink less, not stop completely.
10 min read Female Alcoholism: How It Looks Different in Women
Female alcoholism develops and presents differently than the cultural picture suggests. A clinical breakdown of how AUD appears in women.
7 min read Life After 50: Think You Have a Drinking Problem?
Drinking problems develop differently after 50. Recognize the signs, understand why midlife drinking patterns shift, and learn what evidence-based help looks like.
7 min read Group Therapy for Alcohol Recovery
Why group therapy works better than AA for many people. Peer accountability plus professional guidance,without the steps or sponsors.
10 min read Heavy Drinker vs Alcoholic: How to Tell the Difference
Is there a difference between heavy drinking and alcoholism? Dr. Arnold Washton explains the spectrum of alcohol problems and when drinking crosses the line.
8 min read Heavy Drinking Among NYC Executives and Professionals
Why high-functioning NYC professionals develop episodic heavy drinking, and what private treatment looks like for those who do not fit the alcoholic label.
9 min read Help for an Out-of-Control Teen: What Actually Works
Your teen is using and the harder you push, the worse it gets. A psychologist explains why pressure backfires and what to do instead.
8 min read Coping with a Loved One's Addiction & Recovery
Watching someone you love struggle with addiction? How to help without enabling, set boundaries, and protect your own wellbeing.
8 min read How to Talk to Your Teen About Drug Use Without Shutting Them Down
What to say (and not say) when you discover your teen is using drugs or drinking. A psychologist shares the scripts that keep communication open.
8 min read Is Moderate Drinking Right for You?
Not everyone needs complete abstinence. Learn whether moderation management could work for your situation.
10 min read Medications to Stop Drinking: What Works
A comprehensive look at FDA-approved medications that can support your recovery from alcohol problems.
7 min read Medications for Alcohol Problems: Complete Guide
Pills that help you drink less or quit entirely: Antabuse, Naltrexone, and newer medications. How they work, side effects, and who benefits most.
7 min read Moderate Mindful Drinking
How mindfulness practices can support moderate drinking goals and help you develop awareness around alcohol use.
9 min read Online Therapy for Teens: How It Actually Works (And When It's the Right Fit)
Online therapy for teens is more than a remote version of in-office care. How telehealth therapy works for adolescents, and what parents should know.
12 min read High-Functioning Alcoholic: The Clinical Picture Most People Miss
What a high-functioning alcoholic looks like beyond the stereotype: signs, typical patterns, why they rarely seek help, and what treatment looks like.
7 min read Creating Your Action Plan for Abstinence
Ready to quit drinking completely? A step-by-step action plan for achieving and maintaining abstinence, with strategies that work in real life.
6 min read Relapse Warning Signs: Early Detection & Prevention
Relapse rarely happens suddenly. Recognize the emotional, mental, and behavioral warning signs before a slip becomes a full return to drinking.
5 min read Relationships & Recovery During Sobriety
Recovery changes relationships. How to rebuild trust with your partner, navigate sobriety together, and create connections that support your goals.
8 min read Signs of a High-Functioning Alcoholic
Success hides a lot. The signs of high-functioning alcoholism that friends and family miss,and what keeps successful people from getting help.
8 min read What is Smarter Drinking?
Learn about the smarter drinking approach and how it can help you develop a healthier relationship with alcohol.
7 min read Easy to Stop Drinking, Hard to Stay Sober
Stopped drinking before but couldn't stay sober? Why the first weeks are easy but long-term recovery is harder,and what actually prevents relapse.
11 min read Substance Use Support for Executives: A Guide to the Options Actually Available
Traditional treatment systems were not built for executives. The support options that actually work when your career cannot afford a monitoring program.
7 min read Sobriety Sampling: An Experiment with Abstinence
Try a period of abstinence before deciding on long-term goals. Sobriety sampling helps you understand your relationship with alcohol.
6 min read How to Talk to a Loved One About Their Drinking
Approaching someone you love about their drinking is one of the hardest conversations. Done wrong, it pushes them away. Done right, it opens a door.
5 min read What Parents Get Wrong About Teen Addiction Treatment
Most parents respond to teen substance use with fear-driven decisions. How effective adolescent treatment actually works, and what choices help.
7 min read Teen Substance Use: What Parents Should Know
When you discover your teenager is using drugs or alcohol, how you respond matters enormously. A psychologist shares what actually works.
8 min read Therapist Specializing in Women's Issues: What That Actually Covers
What does it mean to specialize in womens issues, clinically? The conditions, the treatment approach, and what to look for in a clinician.
7 min read Total Abstinence: Staying Drug-Free
For some, complete abstinence is essential. Why moderation doesn't work for everyone,and how to stay clean long-term.
5 min read What is Moderate Drinking?
Clinical guidelines for moderate drinking, the science behind moderation, and how to know whether moderate drinking is realistic for you.
7 min read When Do People Realize They Need Help?
Still not sure you need help? The moments that push people from denial to action,and why waiting for rock bottom isn't necessary.
10 min read Why Binge Drinking Is Harder to Quit Than Daily Drinking
Binge drinkers often think they have no problem because they can go weeks without drinking. Why that pattern is actually harder to break.
6 min read Why Women Hide Their Drinking, And What Actually Helps
Women face unique pressures that make alcohol problems harder to recognize and harder to talk about. The barriers to getting real help.
7 min read Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Therapy for Addiction?
AI can assist addiction therapy, but the therapeutic relationship is irreplaceable. What therapists and clients need to know about AI sycophancy and the limits of chatbot care.