This book documents the history of ideas about problem gambling and its link to addictive disorders. The book uses a combination of literature review and conceptual and linguistic analysis to explore the way ideas about problem gambling gave changed over time. It examines the religious, socio-cultural, and medical influences on the development of the concept of problem gambling as a disease, along with the ways in which such ideas were influenced by attitudes about substance abuse. The history of mental illness, notably as it pertains to themes such as loss of control over behavior, is also addressed. The book ends with a discussion of the current status and future prospects, with an eye to which ideas about problem gambling and addictions seem most promising and which should perhaps be left behind.

This book documents the history of ideas about problem gambling and its link to addictive disorders. The book uses a combination of literature review and conceptual and linguistic analysis to explore the way ideas about problem gambling gave changed over time. It examines the religious, socio-cultural, and medical influences on the development of the concept of problem gambling as a disease, along with the ways in which such ideas were influenced by attitudes about substance abuse. The history of mental illness, notably as it pertains to themes such as loss of control over behavior, is also addressed. The book ends with a discussion of the current status and future prospects, with an eye to which ideas about problem gambling and addictions seem most promising and which should perhaps be left behind.

Peter Ferentzy is a recovering drunk and a recovering crackhead. He knows this topic from the gutter right up to the halls of academe. After losing two friends to overdose, and seeing clearly that in each case the governing approach to addiction was the cause, Peter wrote Dealing with Addiction -- Why the 20th Century was Wrong. The Corrective is an extension of that agenda, showing as it does that persons with substance use issues can - without completely quitting drug and alcohol use - accomplish much more than mainstream authorities would have you believe. In this case they manage to "stave off World War Three, derail the prison system, 'liberate' half a million captive animals, settle ethnic strife in Eastern Europe, unite warring Muslim nations in the Middle East, and generate prosperity in Sudan" (from front cover with special thanks to Stanton Peele).

If you are living with the pain of seeing a loved one battle an addiction, your life is already filled with too many questions and not enough answers. You are not alone. Dr. Peter Ferentzy has walked the lonely path of addiction himself, but it was the tragic death of two close friends that inspired him to do his part to save others. His guide, Dealing with an Addict, walks you through the confusing-and often corrupt-world of addiction, treatment, and recovery. Far too often, those seeking help for their loved ones find themselves treated with disrespect by industry "professionals" who are more interested in fees than lasting results. A helpful companion for anyone wanting to help an addicted friend, partner, or offspring, Dealing with an Addict gives you the tools to make effective decisions about when to help, how to help, and above all, how to protect yourself and your loved one from an industry that is often more predatory than helpful.

Dr. Peter Ferentzy, an addiction expert who has lived the life of a crack addict, reveals the ugly truth: the dominant approach to drug and alcohol addictions has hurt-and even killed-more people than it has helped. "Hitting bottom," "abstinence," and other buzzwords are often code for approaches that promote degradation, rape, and death-and on a scale that really amounts to genocide.

Dr. Peter Ferentzy, an addiction expert who has lived the life of a crack addict, reveals the ugly truth: the dominant approach to drug and alcohol addictions has hurt-and even killed-more people than it has helped. "Hitting bottom," "abstinence," and other buzzwords are often code for approaches that promote degradation, rape, and death-and on a scale that really amounts to genocide.