Facing Addiction in America

Facing Addiction in America

Author: Office of the Surgeon General

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-08-15

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 9781974580620

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All across the United States, individuals, families, communities, and health care systems are struggling to cope with substance use, misuse, and substance use disorders. Substance misuse and substance use disorders have devastating effects, disrupt the future plans of too many young people, and all too often, end lives prematurely and tragically. Substance misuse is a major public health challenge and a priority for our nation to address. The effects of substance use are cumulative and costly for our society, placing burdens on workplaces, the health care system, families, states, and communities. The Report discusses opportunities to bring substance use disorder treatment and mainstream health care systems into alignment so that they can address a person's overall health, rather than a substance misuse or a physical health condition alone or in isolation. It also provides suggestions and recommendations for action that everyone-individuals, families, community leaders, law enforcement, health care professionals, policymakers, and researchers-can take to prevent substance misuse and reduce its consequences.


The Behavioral Addictions

The Behavioral Addictions

Author: Edited by Michael S. Ascher M.D.

Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub

Published: 2015-04-01

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1585624853

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The Behavioral Addictions provides a pragmatic and engaging guide to help clinicians understand and contextualize conditions that may not be clearly delineated in the DSM-5 diagnostic system. Although not accorded a specific classification, the behaviors addressed in this book share the accepted hallmarks of addiction—continued engagement in an action despite negative consequences and loss of control over one’s own life. The editors begin with an overview of the behavioral addictions from neurobiological, theoretical, clinical, and forensic perspectives and then present 12 case studies focused on a variety of behaviors, from exercising to Internet gaming and from kleptomania to tanning. These real-life case studies are both fascinating and instructive, and along with accompanying videos, they help trainees and practicing clinicians alike to digest current research and gain “hands-on” experience with the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. In the realm of behavioral addictions, there is much work to be done: figuring out reliable diagnostic criteria, building useful assessment tools, and developing effective psychosocial and pharmacological treatments, to name a few critical tasks. The Behavioral Addictions is an indispensable, case-based resource to guide clinicians in this rapidly changing field.


In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

Author: Gabor Maté, MD

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2011-06-28

Total Pages: 522

ISBN-13: 1583944206

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A “thought-provoking and powerful” study that reframes everything you’ve been taught about addiction and recovery—from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Myth of Normal (Bruce Perry, author of The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog). A world-renowned trauma expert combines real-life stories with cutting-edge research to offer a holistic approach to understanding addiction—its origins, its place in society, and the importance of self-compassion in recovery. Based on Gabor Maté’s two decades of experience as a medical doctor and his groundbreaking work with people with addiction on Vancouver’s skid row, this #1 international bestseller radically re-envisions a much misunderstood condition by taking a compassionate approach to substance abuse and addiction recovery. In the same vein as Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts traces the root causes of addiction to childhood trauma and examines the pervasiveness of addiction in society. Dr. Maté presents addiction not as a discrete phenomenon confined to an unfortunate or weak-willed few, but as a continuum that runs throughout—and perhaps underpins—our society. It is not a medical “condition” distinct from the lives it affects but rather the result of a complex interplay among personal history, emotional and neurological development, brain chemistry, and the drugs and behaviors of addiction. Simplifying a wide array of brain and addiction research findings from around the globe, the book avoids glib self-help remedies, instead promoting a thorough and compassionate self-understanding as the first key to healing and wellness. Dr. Maté argues persuasively against contemporary health, social, and criminal justice policies toward addiction and how they perpetuate the War on Drugs. The mix of personal stories—including the author’s candid discussion of his own “high-status” addictive tendencies—and science with positive solutions makes the book equally useful for lay readers and professionals.


Addiction

Addiction

Author: David Nutt

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2013-09-26

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 0199685703

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An essential reference for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, trainees, and specialist nurses, as well as primary care physicians/GPs with a special interest in mental health conditions and other healthcare professionals.


Pathways of Addiction

Pathways of Addiction

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1996-10-01

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0309175380

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Drug abuse persists as one of the most costly and contentious problems on the nation's agenda. Pathways of Addiction meets the need for a clear and thoughtful national research agenda that will yield the greatest benefit from today's limited resources. The committee makes its recommendations within the public health framework and incorporates diverse fields of inquiry and a range of policy positions. It examines both the demand and supply aspects of drug abuse. Pathways of Addiction offers a fact-filled, highly readable examination of drug abuse issues in the United States, describing findings and outlining research needs in the areas of behavioral and neurobiological foundations of drug abuse. The book covers the epidemiology and etiology of drug abuse and discusses several of its most troubling health and social consequences, including HIV, violence, and harm to children. Pathways of Addiction looks at the efficacy of different prevention interventions and the many advances that have been made in treatment research in the past 20 years. The book also examines drug treatment in the criminal justice setting and the effectiveness of drug treatment under managed care. The committee advocates systematic study of the laws by which the nation attempts to control drug use and identifies the research questions most germane to public policy. Pathways of Addiction provides a strategic outline for wise investment of the nation's research resources in drug abuse. This comprehensive and accessible volume will have widespread relevanceâ€"to policymakers, researchers, research administrators, foundation decisionmakers, healthcare professionals, faculty and students, and concerned individuals.


Addiction

Addiction

Author: Gene M. Heyman

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2010-10-15

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 0674264436

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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.


Neural Mechanisms of Addiction

Neural Mechanisms of Addiction

Author: Mary Torregrossa

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2018-08-24

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 0128123311

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Neural Mechanisms of Addiction is the only book available that synthesizes the latest research in the field into a single, accessible resource covering all aspects of how addiction develops and persists in the brain. The book summarizes our most recent understanding on the neural mechanisms underlying addiction. It also examines numerous biobehavioral aspects of addiction disorders, such as reinforcement learning, reward, cognitive dysfunction, stress, and sleep and circadian rhythms that are not covered in any other publication. Readers with find the most up-to-date information on which to build a foundation for their future research in this expanding field. Combining chapters from leading researchers and thought leaders, this book is an indispensable guide for students and investigators engaged in addiction research. - Transcends multiple neural, neurochemical and behavioral domains - Summarizes advances in the field of addiction research since the advent of optogenetics - Discusses the most current, leading theories of addiction, including molecular mechanisms and dopamine mechanisms


The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment

The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment

Author: Carlton K. Erickson

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2007-02-17

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 0393076229

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Runner-up winner of the Hamilton Book Author Award, this book is a comprehensive overview of the neurobiology behind addictions. Neuroscience is clarifying the causes of compulsive alcohol and drug use––while also shedding light on what addiction is, what it is not, and how it can best be treated––in exciting and innovative ways. Current neurobiological research complements and enhances the approaches to addiction traditionally taken in social work and psychology. However, this important research is generally not presented in a forthright, jargon-free way that clearly illustrates its relevance to addiction professionals. The Science of Addiction presents a comprehensive overview of the roles that brain function and genetics play in addiction. It explains in an easy-to-understand way changes in the terminology and characterization of addiction that are emerging based upon new neurobiological research. The author goes on to describe the neuroanatomy and function of brain reward sites, and the genetics of alcohol and other drug dependence. Chapters on the basic pharmacology of stimulants and depressants, alcohol, and other drugs illustrate the specific and unique ways in which the brain and the central nervous system interact with, and are affected by, each of these substances Erickson discusses current and emerging treatments for chemical dependence, and how neuroscience helps us understand the way they work. The intent is to encourage an understanding of the body-mind connection. The busy clinical practitioner will find the chapter on how to read and interpret new research findings on the neurobiological basis of addiction useful and illuminating. This book will help the almost 21.6 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, who abuse or are dependent on drugs by teaching their caregivers (or them) about the latest addiction science research. It is also intended to help addiction professionals understand the foundations and applications of neuroscience, so that they will be able to better empathize with their patients and apply the science to principles of treatment.


Cravings and Addictions

Cravings and Addictions

Author: Maria Karekla

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Published: 2022-01-02

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 1684038359

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A powerful, evidence-based program grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for managing cravings related to addictions and taking charge of your life. Whether you struggle with overeating, alcohol, drugs, or smoking, you’re all too familiar with the cravings that propel your habit. Cravings—that intense desire for certain substances or behaviors with the aim of feeling pleasure and satisfaction—are the root of all addictive behaviors. Knowing what to do with those urges can make the difference between managing your addiction and giving into it. This book can help. Cravings and Addictions presents practical strategies based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you cope with the cravings at the core of your addiction. You’ll learn to recognize the cues that lead to addictive behaviors, and discover how you can move beyond addiction to commit to a life driven by what you care about and want in life. If you’re ready to stop living life at the mercy of your cravings and addiction, let this book be your guide to regaining control. ACT: Accept, Choose, and Take Action to Manage Your Cravings—and Take Back Control of Your Life! Accept that cravings are a normal part of everyday life, just like other thoughts and feelings. Choose to surrender to the craving—or choose to engage in actions aligned with your goals and values. Take action to change your life for the better—and develop a sense of meaning, purpose, and vitality.