In a book sure to inspire controversy, Gene Heyman argues that conventional wisdom about addiction-that it is a disease, a compulsion beyond conscious control-is wrong. Drawing on psychiatric epidemiology, addicts' autobiographies, treatment studies, and advances in behavioral economics, Heyman makes a powerful case that addiction is voluntary. He shows that drug use, like all choices, is influenced by preferences and goals. But just as there are successful dieters, there are successful ex-addicts. In fact, addiction is the psychiatric disorder with the highest rate of recovery. But what ends an addiction? At the heart of Heyman's analysis is a startling view of choice and motivation that applies to all choices, not just the choice to use drugs. The conditions that promote quitting a drug addiction include new information, cultural values, and, of course, the costs and benefits of further drug use. Most of us avoid becoming drug dependent, not because we are especially rational, but because we loathe the idea of being an addict. Heyman's analysis of well-established but frequently ignored research leads to unexpected insights into how we make choices-from obesity to McMansionization-all rooted in our deep-seated tendency to consume too much of whatever we like best. As wealth increases and technology advances, the dilemma posed by addictive drugs spreads to new products. However, this remarkable and radical book points to a solution. If drug addicts typically beat addiction, then non-addicts can learn to control their natural tendency to take too much.

Stressing solutions rather than pathology, clients' strengths and their strategies for past successes rather than their weaknesses or problems, this team utilizes a solution-building approach by discovering and exploring the ways substance abusers heal themselves. The book covers solution-focused therapy one step at a time. Bursting with case examples, quick tips, and questions "from the field," this is a reader-friendly manual.

A widely adopted practitioner resource and course text, this book shows how to apply knowledge about behavior change in general -- and the stages-of-change model in particular -- to make substance abuse treatment more effective. The authors are leaders in the field who describe ways to tailor interventions for clients with varying levels of motivation or readiness to change. They draw on cutting-edge theory and research on the transtheoretical model to explain what works (and what doesn't work) at different stages of change. Rich clinical examples illustrate the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of using the stages-of-change model to inform treatment planning and intervention for individuals, groups, couples, and families. New to This Edition *Reflects the ongoing development of the stages-of-change model and research advances over the past decade. *Chapter on stage-based brief interventions in health care, social service, and community settings. *Group treatment chapter has been significantly revised. *Expanded coverage of the change processes relevant to each stage. See also Group Treatment for Substance Abuse, Second Edition, by Mary Marden Velasquez et al., a manual for a group-based approach grounded in the transtheoretical model.

Offering the most modern psychological techniques, this guide to breaking the habit of smoking provides useful advice so that readers can avoid paying for costly professional treatments. Using clear and concise language, this book focuses on developing readers' self-control and offers various approaches both for those looking to quit cold-turkey as well as those who prefer a slower approach. Although mostly aimed at smokers attempting to quit, whether it be for the first time or not, this book will also prove useful to doctors, educators, legislators, psychologists, and others who work towards improving healthcare and health education. "Ofreciendo las tecnicas psicologicas mas modernas, esta guia para romper el habito de fumar provee consejos utiles para que el lector no tenga que pagar por tratamientos profesionales costosos. Usando un lenguaje claro y conciso, este libro se enfoca en desarrollar el auto-control del lector y ofrece varios enfoques, tanto para aquellos que quieren dejar de fumar de golpe como para aquellos que prefieren dejar de fumar poco a poco. Aunque mayormente esta destinado a fumadores que buscan romper el habito, ya sea por primera vez o no, este libro tambien sera util para doctores, educadores, legisladores, psicologos y otros quienes trabajan para mejorar la salud y la ensenanza de la salud."

While waiting out a delay on a fateful tarmac, Carl Andersen was mulling the challenges and possibilities of the path before him. Alcoholism had left its mark on his life and on his family. In spite of the disease, Carl managed to earn a PhD and receive an appointment as Chair of the Department of Family Studies. But Carl's mission wasn't clear to him until he sat in a plane on the tarmac talking with his wife about the plight of young people in recovery. There are many such people, he observed, who couldn't go home for fear of relapse or who couldn't go to college because of the drinking environment there. Seeking to address this problem, the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery was born. It fused the classic twelve-step program popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous with scholarships and a supportive learning environment to provide an opportunity in higher education for people struggling with addiction. Part history, part road map, part visionary, and part dream fulfillment, Addiction Recovery at Texas Tech University chronicles Carl's own struggle with addiction and describes how he established the model at TTU that has been replicated in colleges and universities across the nation. The book also includes accounts from students who were impacted by the endeavor.