Substance use disorders occur in 10% to 20% of patients presenting to the primary care physician, and rates are increasing. Primary care physicians are therefore in an excellent position to screen, provide early intervention, or refer patients to specialty care. This issue covers several types of substance abuse-including alcohol, prescription drugs, and recreational drugs-and gives detailed information on screening for and treating these problems.

With recent advances of modern medicine more people reach the "elderly age" around the globe and the number of dementia cases are ever increasing. This book is about various aspects of dementia and provides its readers with a wide range of thought-provoking sub-topics in the field of dementia. The ultimate goal of this monograph is to stimulate other physicians' and neuroscientists' interest to carry out more research projects into pathogenesis of this devastating group of diseases.

Using an innovative translational approach between the work of experimental scientists and clinical practitioners this book addresses the current, modest, understanding of how and why addiction treatment works. Through bridging this gap it provides a critical insight into why people react as they do in the context of addiction treatment.

Drug abuse and addiction are common in clinical practice. Often they interfere with patient treatment or require an alternative approach. Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment is a major contribution to the literature, a gold standard title offering a comprehensive range of topics for those who care for patients with addiction, conduct research in this area, or simply have an interest in the field. Offering state-of-the-art information for all those working with drug abusing or addicted patients, or for those interested in this topic from other research perspectives, the volume is a first of its kind book -- rich, comprehensive, yet focused, addressing the needs of the very active theoretical, basic, and clinical research in the field. Comprised of 46 chapters organized in four sections and developed by the leading international experts, Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment covers virtually every core, as well as contemporary, topic on addiction, from the established theories to the most modern research and development in the field. Enhancing the educational value of the volume, every chapter includes an abstract and two boxes summarizing learning objectives and directions for future research. Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment discusses the topic in a authoritative, systematic manner and is an indispensable reference for all clinicians and researchers interested in this rapidly changing field.

It describes the process of solution-focused intervention in a step-by-step fashion and includes case examples, sample assessment forms, and advice for how this approach can be adapted to a variety of service programs.

"Perioperative Addiction" addresses an issue that every anesthesiologist will encounter many times during the course of his or her career: the patient who arrives for operative care under the influence of legal or illegal drugs. The editors and contributors provide expert guidance on how to identify and manage the addicted patient, approaching the subject from the vantage points of the specific drug and of special patient populations.

Features:

Guidance for spotting and managing addicted patients

All common and important drugs of addiction, from opioids, cocaine, club drugs, and alcohol, to tobacco, marijuana, nitrous oxide, inhalants, and propofol

Special populations, including pregnant women, pain patients, adolescents, older patients, and healthcare professionals

Fascinating overview of the long history of addiction

Genetic basis of addiction, and the range of pharmacological treatments for addiction

RESEARCH FINDINGS: Drugs in the Workplace: Extent and Impact of Alcohol and Drug Usage/Problems in the Workplace/Workforce (J. Martin). Predictors of Drug Use and Implications for the Workplace (M. Newcomb). Drug Testing Programs: Drug Testing Methods and Interpretation of Results (B. Kapur). The Impact and Effectiveness of Drug Testing Programs in the Workplace (S. Macdonald). Legal Issues: Some Legal Aspects of Drug Testing in the Canadian Workplace (M. Pinsonneault). Constitutional and Statuatory Treatment of Drug Testing in the United States (R.L. Lieberwitz). Other Workplace Programs: Behavioral Tests to Assess Performance (B. Butler). Alternatives to Drug Testing (M. Shain). PERSPECTIVES ON DRUG TESTING: Unions' Perspective on Workplace Drug Testing (S. Alvi). Drug Testing, the War on Drugs, Workers, and the Workplace (J. Blackwell). 5 additional articles. Index.

One of the few books on the topic, this updated edition offers alternatives to disease models of addiction by exploring personal pathways to recovery. Focusing on alcohol and drug problems, it provides a literature review of 40 years of studies on self-change with particular emphasis on the current decade and methodological issues (starting with how much or how little treatment constitutes "treatment"). The 24 experts keep the coverage consistently readable, and dozens of brief narratives from individuals who have successfully recovered from an addictive behavior without formal help lend valuable personal perspectives.

Through the vivid, true stories of five addicts, a neuroscientist explains how addiction happens in the brain, and what we can do to overcome it. The psychiatric establishment and rehab industry in the Western world have branded addiction a brain disease, based on evidence that brains change with drug use. But in The Biology of Desire, cognitive neuroscientist and former addict Marc Lewis makes a convincing case that the disease model has become an obstacle to healing. Lewis reveals addiction as an unintended consequence of the brain doing what it's supposed to do - seek pleasure and relief - in a world that's not cooperating. Brains are designed to restructure themselves with normal learning and development, but this process is accelerated in addiction when highly attractive rewards are pursued repeatedly. Lewis shows why treatment based on the disease model so often fails, and how treatment can be retooled to achieve lasting recovery, given the realities of brain plasticity. Combining intimate human stories with clearly rendered scientific explanation, The Biology of Desire is enlightening and optimistic reading for anyone who has wrestled with addiction either personally or professionally.

When Downeast "local" Annette Fiorno is found at the bottom of a ravine, "outsider" and relapsed drug addict Jimmy Sedgwick is accused of murder. Unassuming Maine lawyer Rob Hanston and big shot attorney Shawn Marks form an unlikely legal team as they attempt to discredit the overwhelming evidence. Addiction on Trial, the first in a series of Shawn Marks Thrillers, revolves around the murder cases of Attorney Marks, an egotistical yet likable high-powered Boston attorney who can juggle an array of female companions without taking his eye off the legal challenges of his work. Addiction on Trial sends a powerful message of societal discrimination toward drug addicts and explores common misperceptions about what drug addiction really is - a chronic illness requiring a similar treatment approach as other chronic diseases. Medical and behavioral aspects of addiction are woven into the intrigue of this thriller, which culminates in a riveting murder trial.

A psychiatrist examines how the world's four most important mind-altering substances- alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, and opiates-have played a significant role throughout human history, and explains how these powerful drugs affect the brain and cause addiction. Alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, and opiates have spurred some of the greatest human pleasure and pain across time. Providing information that ranges as widely as from ancient Egypt to modern times, this book comprehensively addresses the good, the bad, and the very ugliest aspects of these substances, examining their history, their effects on the brain and body, and on civilization itself. Frances R. Frankenburg, MD, employs accessible, everyday language to explain the neurology of addiction and describe how these "brain-robbing" substances work to hijack the brain's pleasure systems to create powerful addictions. The author also provides perspective into the intertwined, inescapable, and often uneasy relationship between these substances and human culture, economics, and politics-for example, how individuals become physically or psychologically addicted to alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, and opiates, while governments become financially "addicted" to the revenue, such as taxes, that can be collected from the sale and use of these substances. Presents a historical review of four plant-derived drugs-alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, and opiates-and their effects throughout human civilization, as well as a fascinating exploration of the mystery and misery of addiction Provides comprehensive explanations of medical and psychiatric effects of these drugs Supplies stories of people who made discoveries about these drugs or who had their lives altered by them Describes the discovery of the way in which the brain works Includes illustrations of brain pathways and of the four plants of origin for these drugs, and maps showing drug trade triangles

The use of recreational drugs of abuse by large numbers of individuals in this country and abroad has aroused serious concerns about the consequences of this activity. For example, it is recognized that marijuana is currently widely used as a recreational drug in the United States as well as other countries. Similarly, abuse of cocaine, especially crack cocaine, is considered to be an epidemic. "The war on drugs" by the US Government was directly aimed at the illicit use of cocaine, marijuana, and opiates as well as other drugs of abuse. Furthermore, alcohol is also considered a major problem of abuse in this country as well as in many other countries. It is estimated there are at least 10 million alcoholics in the United States alone. A signi?cant portion of those hospitalized with infectious diseases are alcoholics. Similarly, there have been many reports of association between marijuana use and increased susceptibility to infection as well as a re- tion between use of opiates and infections. The relationship between drug abuse and increased incidence of various infections has stimulated increased investi- tion of whether and how such drugs affect immune function, especially imp- tant for resistance against infectious agents. During the last decades, a wide variety of studies have shown that drugs of abuse, including marijuana, cocaine, or opiates, as well as alcohol, alter both neurophysiological as well as pathological responses of individuals.

While citizens experiment with illegal drugs, their governments experiment with regulations to prohibit drugs. Scholars, analysts, and policy makers who know what legal prohibitions other countries have tried and found successful will have a better chance of crafting effective drug policy for their countries. This special issue of "The Annals" describes the experiences of eleven countries: Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, France, Iran, Jamaica, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, and Sweden. Articles are grouped by geography and wealth: the wealthy West, the western hemisphere, and the transition countries.

The drug problems of wealthy Western nations have generally worsened since the 1960s. Some have no clearly articulated vision behind their drug policy (e.g. Denmark); others have tough policies (e.g. Sweden). France and Portugal both recently instituted sharp changes in drug policy. While no outcome results are yet available from Portugal, France has experience a huge increase in the number of users in treatment. Australia s strong harm-reduction policy remains in place despite increasing heroin deaths and other drug-related problems.

U.S. consumption and U.S. international drug policies affect western hemisphere countries policy as well as generate problems for them. Although Mexican drug use remains at modest levels, the country faces violent and powerful criminal groups. The groups creation is related to Mexico s role as the principal source and primary transshipment route for drugs bound for the U.S. IN Jamaica, another route for cocaine shipped to the U.S. and another focus of U.S. international drug policy, drug trafficking has exacerbated the long-standing problem of politically related gang violence by increasing the moneys and weapons involved. Drug use is a relatively minor concern of Columbian policy, also under U.S. pressure; instead, it focuses on trafficking and related corruption and violence.

Iran and Russia are countries in transition. Contending with fundamental economic and social change following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has had little political debate regarding its highly intolerant drug policy. Iran s drug policies have frequently shifted during its long history of dealing with opiate abuse, from harsh punishment to regulation of use and back again. Most recently, more therapeutically oriented approaches have been tried.

Two articles address geographically broader issues. One shows how U.S. politicians distorted results from a study of needle exchange in Vancouver. The other discusses creation of a new regulatory regime for governing developed nations banking systems, in the belief that illegal drugs account for a substantial fraction of suspicious financial transactions, particularly across national borders. "

Digital Therapeutics for Mental Health and Addiction: The State of the Science and Vision for the Future presents the foundations of digital therapeutics with a broad audience in mind, ranging from bioengineers and computer scientists to those in psychology, psychiatry and social work. Sections cover cutting-edge advancements in the field, offering advice on how to successfully implement digital therapeutics. Readers will find sections on evidence for direct-to-consumer standalone digital therapeutics, the efficacy of integrating digital treatments within traditional healthcare settings, and recent innovations currently transforming the field of digital therapeutics towards experiences which are more personalized, adaptable and engaging. This book gives a view on current limitations of the technology, ideas for problem-solving the challenges of designing this technology, and a perspective on future research directions. For all readers, the content on cultural, legal and ethical dimensions of digital mental health will be useful.

The Clinical Manual for Treatment of Alcoholism and Addictions provides a concise overview of addiction treatment issues relevant to physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, alcohol and drug counselors, and rehabilitation therapists who are involved in the care of patients with substance use disorders.

Drawing from their extensive experience in treating addictions in both inpatient and outpatient settings, the authors have assembled a wealth of clinical information condensed into one easy-to-read guide. The manual - Presents an overview of the genetics, biological markers, and pathophysiology of addiction.- Covers specific addictive substances in detail -- including epidemiology, presentation, and diagnosis.- Highlights underlying issues related to each substance and includes sections on polysubstance abuse and psychiatric comorbidity.- Touches on various evaluation and assessment tools- Reviews psychosocial and pharmacological treatment modalities.

Throughout the book, complex material is made accessible through the generous use of tables and charts, and key points summarize the important take-away points for each chapter In addition, the manual offers extensive coverage of many different aspects of addiction psychiatry: - Specific patient populations, such as children and adolescents, seniors, mentally and physically handicapped persons, the chronically ill, and the homeless- Various treatment settings, such as general hospitals, outpatient medical settings, and emergency departments- Behavioral addictions, such as pathological gambling, kleptomania, and compulsive buying- Violence, crime, and suicidal behavior

With their vast impact on our culture and society, substance use disorders may well become one of the main challenges for psychiatry in the twenty-first century. Effective approaches to substance use disorders require treatment combinations tailored specifically to each individual. The Clinical Manual for Treatment of Alcoholism and Addictions is an invaluable tool for informing clinicians about the wide array of treatment options available to help their patients who struggle with substance abuse problems.