Nobody has had an answer for why people with addictions continue to repeat them -- until now.

For more than twenty years, distinguished psychiatrist Dr. Lance Dodes has been successfully helping people master their addictions -- alcoholism, compulsive gambling, smoking, sexual addiction, and more with a radical approach. Dr. Dodes describes how all addictions have, at their heart, unrecognized emotional factors that explain:

• Why we feel the impulse
• Why we feel it when we do
• What alternatives (really) work in that critical moment

In this refreshing book filled with compelling case studies, Dr. Dodes debunks several such widely accepted myths as:

• Addictions are fundamentally a physical problem.
• People with addictions are different from other people.
• You have to hit bottom before you can get well.
• You are wasting your time if you ask "why" you have an addiction.

In her New York Times bestseller Unbroken Brain, journalist Maia Szalavitz took an unflinching look at addiction, challenging the idea of the "broken brain" to offer a groundbreaking perspective on addiction as a learning disorder. Now she turns her keen eye and narrative powers to the surprisingly simple--and extremely divisive--practice of harm reduction, which is a revolutionary means to solving the drug addiction crisis. Drug overdoses now kill more Americans annually than guns, cars or breast cancer. But in the name of "sending the right message," we have criminalized drug addiction, denied those who are addicted medical care, housing and other benefits, and have deliberately allowed the spread of fatal diseases. Yet there is an alternative to our present system, one that has been proven to work, but which runs counter to the received wisdom of our criminal and medical industrial complexes. It is called harm reduction. A surprisingly simple idea with enormous power, harm reduction takes the focus off of drug use and instead works to minimize associated damage. It represents the philosophy behind needle exchange programs and providing heroin addicts with the overdose medication naloxone instead of arresting them. It is focused not on punishing pleasure but on minimizing harm; in essence, it is a wholesale refutation of the American way of justice. Undoing Drugs tells the story of harm reduction. It will show how this concept has begun to transform the treatment of addiction and how it holds the potential to revolutionize how we deal with a range of other urgent behavioral and societal issues. Harm reduction challenges people to prioritize radical empathy and kindness over punishment as a way of not only dealing with drug use, but also in questions related to racism, sexism, disability and inequality. And, as Szalavitz shows, it says unequivocally that we must be more concerned about saving lives and health than about criminalizing quality-of-life crimes. Szalavitz argues for a practical application of the Hippocratic oath to "First, do no harm" beyond medicine and to those who urgently need it most.

Substance Misuse and Young People: Critical Issues is a comprehensive source of information on young people's requirements for assessment, treatment and other interventions because of their misuse of substances. It highlights approaches that enhance understanding of the routes that lead young people to substance misuse and also the routes away from it. The emergence of new substances and methods of misuse makes this ever more relevant. The authors are international experts in the fields of psychiatry, paediatrics, medicine, psychology, genetics, resilience, neuropharmacology and epidemiology. This book acknowledges how widespread both substance misuse and psychiatric disorders are and explores the complex, challenging links between co-occurring conditions. Use of substances is associated with illness and premature mortality, and more so for people who have combined disorders. The authors critically assess the vital need for intervention during adolescence and early adulthood. They provide detailed clinical views of the psychosocial interventions and medications currently available and illustrate them with case studies that emphasise adolescents' experiences and thoughtful lifestyle-specific interventions. This book provides theoretical knowledge and indicates the practical skills that practitioners require for work with young people who misuse substances. It is highly applicable to medical practitioners, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, police officers, probation officers, educationalists and related social and healthcare professionals.

Clinical Management of Sex Addiction's newest edition updates many of the original chapters from 28 leaders in the field with new findings and treatment methods in the field of sex addiction. With a growing awareness of sex addiction as a problem, plus the advent of cybersex compulsion, professional clinicians are being confronted with sexual compulsion with little clinical or academic preparation. This is the first book distilling the experience of the leaders in this emerging field. It additionally provides new chapters on emerging areas of interest, including partner counseling, trauma and sexual addiction, and adolescent sex addiction. With a focus on special populations, the book creates a current and coherent reference for the therapist who faces quickly escalating new constellations of addictive sexual behavior. Readable, concise and filled with useful interventions, it is a key text for professionals new to the field and a classic reference for all clinicians who treat sex addiction.

Providing a framework for treating substance use disorders (SUDs) in office-based psychotherapy, the second edition of this trusted work has been updated throughout and features two entirely new chapters. The authors show how clinicians from any background can leverage the therapeutic skills they already have to address clients' alcohol and drug problems competently and effectively. Vivid case examples demonstrate ways to engage clients at different stages of change; set collaborative treatment goals; address SUDs concurrently with other psychological problems; and interweave motivational, cognitive-behavioral, and other interventions, tailored to each individual's needs. Reproducible forms and handouts can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. New to This Edition *Chapter on evidence-based principles and interventions. *Chapter on moderation-focused alcohol treatment. *Revised throughout with current data, clinical techniques, and examples. *Reflects over 15 years of important changes in the field--increased demand for integrated treatment, the ongoing opioid crisis, the growth of harm reduction and medication-assisted treatments, and more.

Clinical Management of Sex Addiction's newest edition updates many of the original chapters from 28 leaders in the field with new findings and treatment methods in the field of sex addiction. With a growing awareness of sex addiction as a problem, plus the advent of cybersex compulsion, professional clinicians are being confronted with sexual compulsion with little clinical or academic preparation. This is the first book distilling the experience of the leaders in this emerging field. It additionally provides new chapters on emerging areas of interest, including partner counseling, trauma and sexual addiction, and adolescent sex addiction. With a focus on special populations, the book creates a current and coherent reference for the therapist who faces quickly escalating new constellations of addictive sexual behavior. Readable, concise and filled with useful interventions, it is a key text for professionals new to the field and a classic reference for all clinicians who treat sex addiction.

Contents:
Preface 1. Philip Bean and Teresa Nemitz Introduction 2 Joy Mott What Should Work: guidelines on the clinical management of opioid dependence in the UK 3. Ken Checinski and Hamid Ghodse Types of Treatments for Types of Patients 4. Michael Gossop Developments in the Treatment of Drug Problems 5. Colin Brewer Psychological and Pharmacological Components of Treatment 6. Douglas Longshore, Michael Prendergast and David Farrabee Coerced Treatment for Drug-Using Criminal Offenders 7. Nicholas Seivewright and Muhammad Iqbal Treating Patients with Comorbidities 8. Jay Carver Drug Testing as a Necessary Prerequisite for Treatment and for Crime Control 9. Philip Bean and Andrew Ravenscroft Therapeutic Addicts Revisited 10. Tammy L. Anderson and Lana Harrison Therapeutic Community Drug Treatment in the U.S. Criminal Justice System 11. Paul Hayes Treating Drug Users: the role of the National Treatment Agency for substance misuse 12. Philip Bean Linking Treatment Services to the Criminal Justice System 13. Joris Casselman Motivation Enhancement in Clients Referred from the Criminal Justice System

Addictions are responsible for vast and growing morbidity, mortality, and misery in society. Until now, not only has the theoretical underpinning of the most commonly practised treatment approaches in the addictions field been scant, but the evidence for the effectiveness of these methods has also been generally lacking. In the cue exposure paradigm there is a rare opportunity to make a vital connection between theory and practice in the rational development of new treatment approaches. Cue exposure has become a routine clinical procedure in the treatment of phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders and shows promise in the additions field. There is always a danger, however, that new approaches will become adopted into routine practice in an uncritical fashion. This book, therefore, brings together a series of invited reviews specially prepared by addictions experts from around the world. Together these reviews provide a much needed critical analysis of the evidence. The primary audience for the book is clinical psychologists and psychiatrists interested in addictions. However, it will also appeal to all graduates in these fields as a teaching and reference work.

Reviews the requirements of treatment planning, clinical assessment, and the historical antecedents of chemical dependency. Drawn from thirty years of experience in the treatment of chemical dependency, Dr. Ottomanelli describes clinical interventions in the context of established clinical research in addition to the presentation of predictors of relapse and relapse models which are derived from empirical studies. The interdisciplinary organization of this book provides a description of the psychological, sociological, and biological parameters of substance abuse.

This book will be of interest to faculty and students in undergraduate and graduate courses dealing with addictions. It will also be useful to counselors and clinical professionals dealing with addiction and substance abuse.

For everyone who was that girl. Loose Girl is Kerry Cohen's captivating memoir about her descent into promiscuity and how she gradually found her way toward real intimacy. The story of addiction-not just to sex, but to male attention-Loose Girl is also the story of a young woman who came to believe that boys and men could give her life meaning. For everyone who knew that girl. In rich and immediate detail, Loose Girl re-creates what it feels like to be in that desperate moment, when a you try to control someone by handing over your body, when the touch of that person seems to offer proof of something, but ultimately delivers little more than emptiness. Kerry Cohen's journey from that hopeless place to her current confident and fulfilled existence is an unforgettable memoir of one young woman who desperately wanted to matter, and speaks to countless others with its compassion, understanding, and love. For the thousands of people who have found their voice in this book, and the thousands more who will.

This] volume provides a unique and advantageous perspective to the trainees and practitioners in the adolescent substance abuse field. It offers a sophisticated perspective on addiction treatment techniques developed in recent years, with a sensitivity to the social and developmental needs of the adolescent.' Marc Galanter, from the Foreword.

Even as the popularity of videogames has skyrocketed, a dark cloud continues to hang over them. Many people who play games feel embarrassed to admit as much, and many who don't worry about the long-term effects of a medium often portrayed as dangerous and corruptive. Drawing on years of experience working directly with people who play games, clinical psychologist Alexander Kriss steers the discourse away from extreme and factually inaccurate claims around the role of games in addiction, violence and mental illness, instead focusing on the importance of understanding the unique relationship that forms between a game and its player. Through vivid psychotherapy case illustrations, autobiographical memoir, and a wide range of psychological theory and research, The Gaming Mind lays out an honest and humanistic vision of games, their potentials and risks, and how they can teach us more about who we are and who we could be.

Originally published in 1980, this book presents a detailed account of a series of investigations that examined the patterns of resort to drugs and alcohol use in college youth, and how such substance uses are linked to personality characteristics and daydreaming patterns. The Editors chose to emphasize the more "private" features of the personality, because these had often been ignored in earlier research, despite popular assumptions that there are close ties between fantasy, inwardness, "spacey" qualities (all suggesting permanent changes in mental organization), and substance use in youth. This volume will be of interest to a wider audience than just drug and alcohol researchers, because of the effort to go beyond normative patterns of substance use toward explorations of personality and consciousness.

Here is the first major work that examines the benefits of applying social understanding to addiction. The author demonstrates how a social perspective shifts the paradigm from viewing a person in terms of "particles" to viewing a person in terms of relationships. This reorientation creates promising new opportunities for intervention. The book discusses recent advances in theories on community capacity building, resilience, and social ecology alongside their practical applications. Written in an engaging style, the book features numerous vignettes, key points, and illustrations that help you apply the material in your own practice.

Posttraumatic Stress and Substance Use Disorders summarizes the state of the field from a biopsychosocial perspective, addressing key domains of interest to clinicians, students, instructors, and researchers. This book is a valuable resource and reference guide for multidisciplinary practitioners and scientists interested in the evidence-based assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders. Chapters written by leaders in the field cover the latest research on assessment, diagnosis, evidence-based treatments, future directions, and much more.

Posttraumatic Stress and Substance Use Disorders summarizes the state of the field from a biopsychosocial perspective, addressing key domains of interest to clinicians, students, instructors, and researchers. This book is a valuable resource and reference guide for multidisciplinary practitioners and scientists interested in the evidence-based assessment and treatment of posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders. Chapters written by leaders in the field cover the latest research on assessment, diagnosis, evidence-based treatments, future directions, and much more.

This accessible guide offers a much-needed integration of family therapy into the treatment of substance use disorders. By proposing a means by which family therapy can be moved to the forefront of addiction treatment, it places the family perspective at the center of its approach and provides a multifaceted alternative to the prevalent individual-focused model. Drawing from Bowen Family Systems Theory and the principles of the 12 step program, the book presents a model of integration that addresses the needs of families struggling with addiction. Illustrated with discussion questions and case narratives of former addicts, the text guides both practitioners and families towards a goal of creating an environment that supports recovery. Offering an overview of the history and current models of addiction treatment, chapters also outline a 6 week Family Matters Program, with accompanying treatment interventions and case studies. The book concludes with an examination of how this program can be implemented by practitioners in a variety of clinical settings. Family Therapy and the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders is essential reading for anyone with an interest in understanding the diverse ways in which addiction affects families. It will be particularly relevant to students of family therapy, but clinicians who work across the fields of substance abuse treatment or family counseling will also benefit from reading this book.

Written by experienced practitioners in the fields of addiction and psychoanalysis, and illustrated by a range of moving vignettes, this groundbreaking book examines the psychological foundations of addiction in the areas of food, sex, gambling, internet usage, shopping, and work. This book not only explores the roots of addictive behavior, explaining why popular treatment options such as the 12-Step Program often fail, it also provides insights for emotional resolution and strategies for behavioral change. Beyond the Primal Addiction seeks to understand rather than pathologize addictive behaviours, now so pervasive in contemporary societies. It will be essential reading for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and other mental health professionals, as well as their clients.

Sex Addiction: A Guide for Couples and Those Who Help Them is a practical book that provides empathic support, guidance, information and pragmatic strategies for couples who want to survive sex and porn addiction - whether that's together, or apart. Sex and porn addiction devastates couple relationships, and unlike the impact of infidelity, there is no 'before' to get back to and no 'after'. This book adopts the metaphor of a boat, presenting addiction as the tidal wave that devastates the relation-ship, leaving both crew members fighting for survival. There's guidance to ensure each partner makes it safely back to shore and advice on surveying the damage to your relation-ship and deciding if you want to save it and set sail again. You'll find practical advice for both the partner and the addicted partner, including first-hand accounts of couples that have already undertaken the journey.

Is abstinence necessary? What is the role of hypnosis? What is the pink cloud? This encyclopedic primer, written in an easy question-and-answer format, contains everything a clinician needs to know about substance abuse and addiction. Dr. Jerome David Levin outlines the treatment of chemical and other addictions such as compulsive gambling, compulsive sexuality, and codependency. He covers the full complexity of substance abuse diagnosis and treatment with a biopsychosocial approach and multimodal interventions, ranging from detoxification and rehabilitation programs to cognitive and behavioral treatments, self-help groups, and individual and family therapy. A clear, comprehensive book that presents an integrated picture of a complex phenomenon, this primer can be profitably read either straight through or as a reference text.

Addiction among women continues to be a vexing social problem with no clear solution. Individuals, families, and social organizations use various approaches to end addiction, ranging from social isolation and family enmeshment to formal detox programs, but results remain uneven. In this study of the recovery careers of female addicts living in rural settings, Judith Grant explores the ways in which twenty-five addicts engage in individual processes of self-recovery. Using feminist methods of inquiry and a Meadian theoretical framework of analysis, Grant follows the women through three distinct recovery phases as they slowly come to shift their understandings of themselves, others, and their social objects. Central to a recovery lies a process through which women reinvent themselves by altering their involvement with themselves, their partners, friends, and children, and of course their addictive substance. This book offers concrete solutions for policy makers and provides a refreshing measure of hope for the largely invisible population of individuals, both family members and addicts, who suffer terribly from this disease.

Individuals bereaved by the drug- or alcohol-related death of a family member represent a sizeable group worldwide. Families Bereaved by Alcohol or Drugs is the long-awaited result of an important and ambitious research project into the experiences commonly encountered by members of this stigmatized and vulnerable group. Based on focus groups with the practitioners and service personnel who support grieving relatives following the loss of a loved one to alcohol or drugs, as well as interviews with the largest qualitative sample of adults bereaved by substance use that has been reported to date, this much-needed contribution to research on addiction and bereavement identifies four major reasons why grief following this tragic kind of death is particularly difficult. By examining the experiences of a wide range of stakeholders, including practitioners and policymakers in health, social care and the criminal justice system, the research contained within this book underscores the large number of organizations that play a role in the implementation of official procedure following a drug- or alcohol-related death and identifies significant gaps in the system that bereaved individuals must negotiate. Grounded in extensive and rigorous academic research, Families Bereaved by Alcohol or Drugs is essential reading for academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of mental health and addiction, social work and social studies, psychology, family studies and bereavement. The book should also be of interest to anyone with a professional interest in bereavement or substance use.

International in its scope and multidisciplinary in its approach, The International Handbook of Addiction Behaviour, originally published in 1991, set a new agenda in the addictions field. This volume brings together the full variety of scientific approaches to addiction behaviour. It broke new ground by highlighting the links between clinical work, training and research and proposes a way forward towards integrated treatment interventions. This title is a definitive teaching text and will still be a valuable resource for students in the addiction field.

Originally published in 1980, recent research had produced new insights into how, at the biochemical level, alcohol and other drugs of abuse can impair metabolic and neuropsychiatric functions. Epidemiological studies were also demonstrating that even moderate drinking or drug abuse can produce significant brain damage. This book draws together the latest biochemical, physiological and clinical research on these topics at the time. The initial chapters discuss how alcohol can interfere with various functions: the adaptability of metabolic processes as governed by the ability of the liver to synthesise new enzymes, cell membrane transport, nervous transmission and the transport of nutrients into the brain. It is suggested that opiates, and possibly alcohol, may affect the endorphin system by blocking the uptake of specific amino acids. The second half of the book reports clinical investigations using biochemical studies, psychological tests, EEG investigations and Computerised Axial Tomography (CAT) scanning. It gives the first report of a long-term study by Lishman and co-workers using an improved tomography technique to assess brain damage in alcoholics. These studies give convincing evidence that heavy drinking, even at socially-acceptable levels, can cause serious brain damage in vulnerable people.