The complete family guide to addiction : everything you need to know now to help your loved one and yourself

Harrison, Thomas F. (author.). Connery, Hilary Smith, (author.).

Summary: "The purpose of this book is to explain addiction and to help families and friends to deal with it successfully. People who are struggling with addiction can also use this book to understand their situation and the resources that are available to help them. And people who are wondering if they might have an addiction can use it to get a better sense of the nature and depth of their potential problem. Part I explains the science behind addiction. Part II looks at the emotional side of the problem and how families are affected. Part III discusses many of the real-world legal and practical issues that addicts often face, and ways to keep them out of trouble. Part IV provides a detailed overview of treatment options. And Part V describes the recovery process and the most effective strategies to keep it going for the long term"--

Record details

ISBN: 9781462538546
ISBN: 1462538541
ISBN: 9781462539642
ISBN: 1462539645
Physical Description: print
vii, 262 pages ; 23 cm
Publisher: New York : The Guilford Press, [2019]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction: family and friends, the first responders to the addiciton crisis -- What is addiction?. A bewildering illness ; What makes someone an addict, as opposed to a heavy drinker or a recreational user ; How addiction affects the brain ; Why do some people become addicts and others don't? ; So is addiction a disease? (and if not, what is it?) ; Why do people get addicted to one particular substance and not others? ; What about gambling addiciton, sex addiction, etc.? -- Living with an addict. How addicts behave ; How loved ones are affected ; Denial, enabling, and codependency ; The stigma of addiction ; Strategies to get a loved one into treatment ; How to cope when a loved one is refusing treatment ; Dealing with a child who is an addict ; Dealing with a spouse who is an addict ; Dealing with a parent who is an addict -- Keeping an addict out of trouble. Can an employee be fired for having an addiction? ; Drug courts and other ways to keep an addict out of jail ; Using civil commitment to keep an addict safe ; More ways to protect an addict from harm -- How treatment works. Can addicts get well without treatment? ; A brief overview of treatment options ; What really happens in detox? ; What really happens in rehab? ; How to find a good rehab and pay for it ; Psychotherapy approaches that are used for addicts ; Drugs that treat alcohol abuse ; Drugs that treat opioid abuse ; Does Alcoholics Anonymous actually work? ; AA-type groups for addictions other than alcohol ; Alternative support groups for people who don't like AA ; When an addict has other mental health problems -- What to expect in recovery. What to expect in early recovery ; What causes relapse? ; How to prevent relapse ; What to do if a relapse happense ; Managing addiction as a long-term chronic illness.