At some point in our lives, we all engage in behaviors that are risky, irrational, or unwise. We might find it exciting and temporarily rewarding to gamble on the lottery or impulsively buy an expensive gadget. But just as substances like alcohol and narcotics have the potential to become addictive, so do certain behaviors. A person addicted to gambling, shopping, the internet, food, or picking at their skin may suffer shame in the shadows while their behavior consumes time and energy and disrupts their life. Some people with behavioral addictions lose their family, job, savings, and home. With a physical basis in the brain, behavioral addictions are serious illnesses-but simply willing yourself to stop is usually not enough. Why Can't I Stop? is for anyone who has a behavioral addiction, as well as their supportive families and friends. Examining seven of the most common and serious addictions-gambling, sex, stealing, internet use, shopping and buying, hair pulling and skin picking, and food-the authors bring together cutting-edge research to describe behavioral addiction, its causes, and how it can be diagnosed and treated. Featuring patient stories of behavioral addiction and recovery, as well as information about treatment centers, this compassionate guide will help readers better understand the complicated issues surrounding these addictions and teach family members how to help the addicted person while helping themselves.

"Recovery Zone, Volume One" picks up where "Facing the Shadow" leaves off, guiding readers to begin working tasks eight through thirteen of Dr. Patrick Carnes' innovative thirty-task model. This book helps readers understand that true recovery is achieved by learning to cope with difficult situations and emotions.Stopping addictive behavior is the only way to start recovery. However, stopping the behavior is not enough to stay in recovery. True recovery is achieved by learning to cope with difficult situations and emotions. Dr. Patrick Carnes helps readers know how to deal with difficult affective states and guides them to a place of resilience so they can decide what is important in their lives. Readers will learn how to live optimally in their Recovery Zone. The work sets the stage for recovery tasks 8-13, providing readers with a practical approach to recognize the underlying emotional causes that perpetuate the addiction cycle.

As the controversial field of sex addiction treatment reaches for legitimacy across the disciplines of medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy, Getting Real About Sex Addiction: A Psychodynamic Approach to Treatment applies psychoanalytic framework to concepts of addiction and sex, as well as related concepts of personality and attachment development. Authors Graeme Daniels and Joe Farley explore the intersection of sex and culture and address social undercurrent relating to gender, such as objectification and sexual aggression and how those influence conceptualization goals and procedures in treatment. Through number case illustrations and vignettes, this text demonstrates psychodynamic method across treatment contexts, in formats of individual, couples, and group therapy. The result is a work that critiques theoretical, intervention, and gender biases that have infiltrated this important yet embattled field, and provides a fresh, alternative approach from a source with the oldest pedigree in modern psychology.

As a teenager, Victor Torres was a gang warlord and heroin addict on New York City's violent streets. Through the ministry of David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, Victor had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ and came to realize that God had a purpose for his life. Victor has spent the last forty-five years helping tens of thousands of young men and women find freedom from drug addiction and gang life. Now, he answers your toughest questions about your addicted loved one. Without pulling punches or promising easy answers, Victor provides wisdom and expertise that can lead you toward success. Some of the questions Victor addresses are...

How can I know if my loved one has a substance abuse problem?

How can I tell the difference between helping and enabling?

What if my loved one refuses to get help?

When should I call the police?

What should we look for in a treatment program?

What can I expect when my loved one comes out of treatment?

How do I prepare for relapse?

God did not create your loved one to be an addict or a loser. On the contrary, God created him or her for a better life. Although, for the moment, it may seem like you are losing your loved one, they still have a God-given destiny and a purpose. No matter how bad the picture may look now, there is always hope.

First published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

There are now signs that, after decades of phenomenal growth, the era of unrestrained gambling liberalisation may be coming to an end. However, the power of the Gambling Establishment is formidable, and it will certainly fight back. Drawing on research and policy examples from around the world, the book provides a unified understanding of the dangerousness of modern commercialised gambling, how its expansion has been deliberately or inadvertently supported, and how the backlash is now occurring. The term Gambling Establishment is defined to include the industry which sells gambling, governments which support it, and a wider network of organisations and individuals who have subscribed to the 'responsible gambling' Establishment discourse. Topics covered include the psychology of how gambling is now being advertised and promoted and the way it is designed to deceive gamblers about their chances of winning; the increased exposure of young people to gambling and the alignment of gambling with sport; understanding the experience of gambling addiction; the various public health harms of gambling at individual, family, community and societal levels; and how evidence has been used to resist change. The book's final chapter offers the author's manifesto for policy change, designed with Britain particularly in mind but likely to have relevance elsewhere. With detailed examples given of the ways a number of countries are responding to these threats to their citizens' health, this book will be of global interest for academics, researchers, policymakers and service providers in the field of gambling or other addictions specifically, and public health and social policy generally.

By offering unique analysis and synthesis of theory, empirical research, and clinical guidance in an up-to-date and unbiased context, this book assists health and social care professionals in understanding the use of drugs and substances of abuse by children and adolescents. A comprehensive reference for health and social care professionals, the book identifies and corrects related false narratives and, with the use of the authors' combined experience of over 70 years of clinical and academic experience in drug and substance abuse, provides current pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of alcohol or other dependence or use disorders among children and adolescents. The book also provides a useful reference for identifying brand/trade and street names of the drugs and substances of abuse commonly used by children and adolescents. Also included is a comprehensive, cross-referenced subject index. Clear, comprehensive, accessible, and fully referenced, this book will be an invaluable resource for professionals and students who aim to treat children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Drug and Substance Abuse is the 19th clinical pharmacology and therapeutic text that the Pagliaros have written over the past 40 years and is the sixth that deals exclusively with drug and substance abuse.

Understanding and Treating Sex and Pornography Addiction demonstrates why people's lives are being destroyed by compulsive sexual behaviour and what we can do to help them. The book examines the latest research into these conditions and outlines the new integrative C.H.O.I.C.E. Recovery Model, a practical, sex-positive model which incorporates CBT, ACT and psychodynamic theories to help people enjoy lifetime recovery. This new edition has been updated throughout, with new material covering pornography addiction, ChemSex, internet offending and female sex and love addiction. Written in a clear and informative manner, this book contains support and advice for both the clinician and for those who suffer from sex addiction, and provides tools for securing confident and rewarding recovery. Understanding and Treating Sex and Pornography Addiction is essential reading for anyone looking to make an enduring recovery from these conditions, as well as for clinicians new to the field and those wanting to update their skills and knowledge.

Introducing the basic principles of neuroscience and pharmacology, The Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse educates students on the chemical mechanisms and physiological effects of commonly abused drugs. Covering stimulants and depressants, chapters cover neurophysiology and neurochemistry as well as the cultural context and history of various classes of stimulants. Designed as a resource for undergraduate students majoring in neuroscience, physiological psychology, biology, physiology, and biochemistry, this valuable textbook presents up-to-date coverage of clinical neuroscience while educating students on the physiological and psychological effects of drug use.

People in recovery from addiction need to be aware of the potential for relapse and the range of challenges that can and, often do, lead to it. To assume or simply hope it will not occur is denial. A HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK can be used to help prevent relapse from all forms of addiction - alcohol and other drugs, nicotine, sex, work, spending, gambling, food and relationships. This workbook is a robust tool for those who take their recovery seriously and want to maximise their knowledge and take actions to minimise the possibility of relapse. Whether or not someone has a history of relapse or wants to be proactive in beginning to work on avoiding potential stumbling blocks, this newly updated and revised workbook can be a major asset. Each section of this knowledge and skill-building workbook concludes with exercises for readers to identify something for which they are grateful currently, as well as to stop and reflect - on both the completed section and the day.

In Changing Course, the best-selling sequel to It Will Never Happen to Me, Claudia Black extends a helping hand to individuals working through the painful experience of being raised with addiction in the family. ""How do you go from living according to the rules - Don't Talk, Don't Trust, Don't Feel - to a life where you are free to talk and trust and feel?"" Dr. Black asks. ""You do this through a process that teaches you to go to the source of those rules, to question them, and to create new rules of your own,"" she explains. Using charts, exercises, checklists, and real-life stories of adult children of alcoholics, Dr. Black guides readers in healing from the fear, shame, and chaos of addiction.

An estimated 3-5% of all individuals who gamble will become compulsive gamblers. This "invisible addiction" can be financially and emotionally devastating to both the gambler and his/her family. This timely clinical manual explains why gambling is on the rise and the factors which distinguish recreational and compulsive gamblers. Mental health professionals will learn how to assess and treat compulsive gamblers using a variety of interventions: behavior therapy, inpatient treatment, family therapy, and 12-step programs.

More people than ever before see themselves as addicted to, or recovering from, addiction, whether it be alcohol or drugs, prescription meds, sex, gambling, porn, or the internet. But despite the unprecedented attention, our understanding of addiction is trapped in unfounded twentieth century ideas, addiction as a crime or as brain disease, and in equally outdated treatment. Challenging both the idea of the addict's "broken brain" and the notion of a simple "addictive personality," Unbroken Brain offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addictions are learning disorders and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention and policy. Like autistic traits, addictive behaviors fall on a spectrum - and they can be a normal response to an extreme situation. By illustrating what addiction is, and is not, the book illustrates how timing, history, family, peers, culture and chemicals come together to create both illness and recovery - and why there is no "addictive personality" or single treatment that works for all. Combining Maia's personal story with a distillation of more than twenty-five years of science and research, Unbroken Brain provides a paradigm-shifting approach to thinking about addiction.

Finally--a road map to recovery from the nation's most original thinker on addiction

In his revolutionary book The Heart of Addiction, Dr. Lance Dodes examined the underlying emotions that drive addictive behaviors--whether drinking, gambling, sex, or eating. Now, in Breaking Addiction, Dodes presents a comprehensive guide outlining seven critical steps to overcome addiction, based on his findings.

Through his practice and research, Dodes has found that virtually every addictive act is preceded by feelings of helplessness. In his refreshingly clear style, Dodes incorporates case stories to illustrate exactly how these feelings set addiction in motion, how to recognize the path toward addiction--and then how to take back control.

Many people, discouraged by current treatments, have been hungry for an approach that digs addiction up by its roots. Since the publication of The Heart of Addiction, Dodes's ideas have been incorporated by therapists and treatment centers around the country, and are taught by universities and training centers for clinicians.

With special sections for both families and health-care professionals, Breaking Addiction is poised to be the handbook for a new, comprehensive, and in-depth understanding of addiction.

When "retired party girl" and popular therapist Amanda White admitted she was an alcoholic, it wasn't because she'd done something outrageous while under the influence, like land herself in jail or get married in Vegas. It was because she realized three things: 1. Alcohol was making her life worse. 2. Moderation wasn't helping. 3. She could not be a therapist if she continued to use alcohol to numb her life. Something needed to change-not just her relationship with alcohol, but her relationship with herself. Choosing not to drink can be daunting. It's everywhere in our culture, our socializing, and our destressing. And it can seem black or white: you drink, or you don't (and if you don't, people ask why). That's where Not Drinking Tonight comes in. Judgement-free and relatable, Amanda helps you unpack your relationship with alcohol by showing you how to: 1) Find out why you drink. Whether it's a glass of wine after work or a weekly bar crawl, your drinking habits can be the result of everything from biology to trauma. 2) Heal your relationship with alcohol. Understand how your relationships have been affecting your life, and learn how to set boundaries and create true self care. 3) Build the sober life you love. Learn what comes next-how to maintain your social life, navigate sex and relationships, and love yourself. Not Drinking Tonight isn't a program to stop drinking. It's the first book to help you address the root issues that cause you to reach for a drink, and create a life you love-one that is not perfect, but is messy and real and one you are fully present for.

Jared Kindred left his home and family at the age of eighteen, choosing a life of riding train cars and making friends on the street. He was an addict for most of his short life, drinking far too much and lying about it; he was ultimately killed by an overdose. Yet he inspired the deepest love of Dave Kindred's life. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is not merely a reflection on love and addiction and loss. It is a hard-won, and remarkably fair-minded, account of the life Jared chose for himself and the colorful people around him--people with names like Puzzles, Stray, and Booze Cop; people with stories to tell. Kindred asks painful but important questions about the lies we tell to get along, and what binds families together or allows them to fracture. Jared's story ended in tragedy, but the act of telling it is an act of healing and redemption. This is an important book on how to love your family, from a great writer who has lived its lessons.

A breakthrough solution from the author of This Naked Mind Alcohol to help shift your mindset and help you quit smoking for good. Tobacco is bad for us; that's a given. But even though you may know the negative health effects, nicotine's hold is strong, subconscious, and emotional: It tastes good, it's a companion when you're alone, and it can be a shield against stress. What if none of these things were true, though? What if nicotine actually tasted bad and didn't make you less lonely? What if it didn't relax you? It may seem hard to believe, and it's okay to be skeptical, but coming to a new mindset about smoking is the key to quitting. In This Naked Mind: Nicotine, Annie Grace and William Porter combine their trusted approaches to overcoming problem drinking-science-backed, habit-breaking systems that have worked for thousands-to vanquish tobacco addiction. Grace and Porter uncover the subconscious beliefs about smoking that keep us addicted to it despite its well-known costs. With thought-provoking questions and exercises that will spark clarity, this essential book will help you jump-start your no-smoking journey easily and heal your brain and body.

Break the addiction cycle once and for all with this powerful and compassionate workbook--now fully revised and updated! If you struggle with addiction, know that you are not alone. Addictive behaviors are often the result of loss--the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or even the end of a romantic relationship. If you're like many others, you may have turned to drugs, alcohol, or other troubling behaviors to avoid the pain of loss. But this only delays the healing process, and can ultimately lead to a destructive cycle that leaves you feeling trapped. So, how can you break free? This second edition of The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction will help you identify the root of your addictive behaviors while providing healthy coping strategies to deal with the stress, anxiety, and depression that can come from experiencing a loss. With these powerful mindfulness exercises and lifestyle tips, you will be able to replace addictive behaviors with healthy behaviors to begin healing. This workbook will help you: Determine the function your addiction is serving Develop healthy coping skills for dealing with loss Accept your thoughts and emotions Avoid addiction "triggers" Heal broken relationships and build a support system No matter the loss, the mindfulness skills in this workbook will allow you to process your grief and replace your addiction with healthy coping behaviors.

This is the first book to explain the many synergies between solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) and harm reduction (HR). Sean Foy discusses how these two approaches are complementary and when used in conjunction, create a novel way of approaching addiction work. The book covers several detailed case studies examining how the concepts and theories of both approaches are intertwined to enhance and deepen the work undertaken with people who misuse and abuse substances. It will be of great interest to scholars of psychotherapy, social work, social care, addiction, nursing and health care, as well as to practitioners seeking a clearer understanding of solution focused brief therapy and harm reduction and how to apply these to case work with problematic drinkers and drug users.

When people think of the 'typical' alcoholic, images of the 'fallen-down' drunk come to mind. Most do not think of professional men and women with successful careers, vibrant families, and active social lives. However, high-functioning alcoholics exist in great numbers, are unseen, and suffer no less than their struggling, failing counterparts. They include corporate presidents, politicians, teachers, tradesmen, law enforcement officials, lawyers, physicians, and even stay at home parents, who are by most accounts successful. Even as they have created lives most people would envy, the realities of alcoholism eventually strike, and recovery is just as arduous for high-functioning alcoholics as it is for lower functioning alcoholics. Benton reveals the extent of the problem, the challenges in recognizing it, the warning signs, and the methods for addressing it. Through research and interviews with both addiction experts and sober high-functioning alcoholics, she illustrates how, when, and why they become addicted, as well as the reasons their alcoholism is so hard to admit, detect, cope with, and overcome. Weaving her own story of alcoholism and recovery into the text in the form of past journal entries and reflective pieces, Benton takes us first hand into the lives of high-functioning alcoholics.

The Clinician's Guide to Alcohol Moderation examines alcohol use around the world and teaches a range of behavioral health care providers how to help clients practice alcohol moderation. Excavating the current treatments available for alcohol moderation, the book offers step-by-step processes of engaging clients and their families, self-assessments, and alcohol moderation tools. In addition to using it in conjunction with Practicing Alcohol Moderation: A Comprehensive Workbook, readers would benefit from the Alcohol Moderation Assessment which predicts who may be able to successfully drink in moderation as well as developing and monitoring an Alcohol Moderation Plan. The text uses recognized alcohol moderation resources throughout the world as well as real-life case studies to address typical clinician, client, and family member questions. It challenges the traditional recommendation that drinkers experiencing problems are "alcoholics." This guide is a resource for all who overdrink or know people who struggle with their alcohol use. Through its medium, a broad range of health care providers receive a step-by-step process on how to practice alcohol moderation, how to put tools into practice, case examples, and answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Practicing Alcohol Moderation is designed to be used by clients of behavioral health care providers who have utilized The Clinician's Guide to Alcohol Moderation. This groundbreaking workbook can be used on its own or in conjunction with therapy, and additionally as a resource for family members whose loved ones are struggling with alcohol. It gives transparent, easy-to-follow, research-based explanations with questionnaires, checklists, quizzes, and worksheets. Each chapter begins with a brief overview and is interspersed with exercises and client experiences, combining research-based information with practical self-assessments, tools, and questions to answer to practice alcohol moderation. Readers can take the Alcohol Moderation Assessment to determine their likelihood of success in practicing alcohol moderation. The book provides the resources to create a personalized Alcohol Moderation Plan and suggests ways to manage its success for clinicians and general audiences alike.

Sex and pornography addiction are growing problems that devastate the lives of partners as well as sufferers. Sex Addiction: The Partner's Perspective has been written to help partners and those who care about them to survive the shock of discovering their partner is a sex addict and to help them make decisions about the future of their relationships and their lives. First and foremost, it is a practical book, full of facts, and self help exercises to give partners a much needed sense of stability and control. Like its sister book, Understanding and Treating Sex Addiction, it includes case examples and survey results revealing the reality of life for partners of sex addicts. Sex Addiction: The Partner's Perspective is divided into three parts. Part I explores the myths surrounding sex addiction and provides up to date information about what sex addiction is and what causes it before moving on to explain why the discovery hurts partners so much. Part II is about partners' needs and includes self-help exercises and strategies to help partners regain stability, rebuild self-esteem and consider their future. The controversial topic of co-dependency is also explored with guidance on how to identify it, avoid it and overcome it. Part III focuses on the couple relationship starting with the difficult decision of whether to stay or leave. Whatever the decision, partners will then find help and support for rebuilding trust and reclaiming their sexuality. This book has been written to help partners not only survive, but to grow stronger and move on with their lives - whether alone, or in their relationship. Readers will find revealing statistics and real life stories shared by partners who kindly took part in the first UK survey of sex addiction partners. This book will this book be a valuable guide for partners, but also for the therapists who seek to support them on their journey of recovery.