This chapter, written by a psychiatrist working with people with severe and complex addictions, sets the scene. We are provided with a graphic account of the multiple problems—physical, psychological, social, financial—of someone with severe drug addiction, where sex working and the risks of pregnancy, infection, and assault compound an already challenging presentation. The personal history of trauma and abuse means that the patient requires highly skilled and sensitive management, and adaptations in service provision—such as no morning appointments—that respect the individual’s lifestyle. The conflict for professionals is encapsulated in a brief description of the responses of Vanessa Crawford’s patient group when asked what messages they would like to be conveyed to future doctors: don’t prejudge us, treat us as individuals, give us proper pain control—and “don’t trust us”. Implicit in this is the recognition that they are in the grip of something that leads them to deceive, probably themselves, but also others—a wish to pervert a relationship to someone who is trying to help. Crawford conveys the importance of being knowledgeable, but not omniscient; of helping the individual to overcome the barrier of shame, which may lead to information being withheld; and the crucial contribution of a collaborative and coherent staff team in containing such challenging patients and in helping them to turn a corner towards recovery.

"The Addicted Brain" explains clearly and vividly what has been learned about how and why some people become addicted and abuse drugs or other substances, the relatively long-term changes these substances can make in the brain, and the progress being made on treatments.

The author of Reality Therapy and Take Effective Control of Your Life shows readers how to gain strength and self-esteem through positive behavior.

A gripping, ultimately triumphant memoir that's also the most comprehensive and comprehensible study of the neuroscience of addiction written for the general public. FROM THE INTRODUCTION: "We are prone to a cycle of craving what we don't have, finding it, using it up or losing it, and then craving it all the more. This cycle is at the root of all addictions, addictions to drugs, sex, love, cigarettes, soap operas, wealth, and wisdom itself. But why should this be so? Why are we desperate for what we don't have, or can't have, often at great cost to what we do have, thereby risking our peace and contentment, our safety, and even our lives?" The answer, says Dr. Marc Lewis, lies in the structure and function of the human brain. Marc Lewis is a distinguished neuroscientist. And, for many years, he was a drug addict himself, dependent on a series of dangerous substances, from LSD to heroin. His narrative moves back and forth between the often dark, compellingly recounted story of his relationship with drugs and a revelatory analysis of what was going on in his brain. He shows how drugs speak to the brain - which is designed to seek rewards and soothe pain - in its own language. He shows in detail the neural mechanics of a variety of powerful drugs and of the onset of addiction, itself a distortion of normal perception. Dr. Lewis freed himself from addiction and ended up studying it. At the age of 30 he traded in his pharmaceutical supplies for the life of a graduate student, eventually becoming a professor of developmental psychology, and then of neuroscience - his field for the last 12 years. This is the story of his journey, seen from the inside out.

Explores the nature of addictive thought patterns, arguing that they develop through a dependence on outside forces to achieve peace of mind, and offers a program for overcoming negative patterns.

For anyone trying to overcome an addiction, living with someone with an addiction, or helping someone with an addiction As most drug and alcohol addicts eventually realize, good intentions alone aren’t enough to break destructive habits. However, addiction can be managed once its true nature is understood. This simple yet profound guidebook takes you step-by-step through the process of building a life after addiction by adopting new behaviors that create lasting change. An internationally renowned psychiatrist, neurologist, and addiction specialist, Dr. Walter Ling has worked with thousands of addicts, their loved ones, and fellow clinicians. His no-nonsense, no-judgment approach, which he calls the “neuroscience of common sense,” advocates holistic methods to prevent relapse and establish new patterns to create a sustainable, meaningful life.

The unpredictability and anxiety associated with the coronavirus pandemic can cloud and confuse everybody's thinking. Excuses, self-deception and addictive logic can harm your recovery and relationships. Don't let it. Author Abraham Twerski reveals how self-deceptive thought can undermine self-esteem and threaten the sobriety of a recovering individuals and offers hope to those seeking a healthy and rewarding recovery. Abnormal thinking in addiction was originally recognized by members of Alcoholics Anonymous, who coined the term "stinking thinking." Addictive thinking often appears rational superficially, hence addicts as well as their family members are easily seduced by the attendant--and erroneous--reasoning process it can foster. In Addictive Thinking, author Abraham Twerski reveals how self-deceptive thought can undermine self-esteem and threaten the sobriety of a recovering individual. This timely revision of the original classic includes updated information and research on depression and affective disorders, the relationship between addictive thinking and relapse, and the origins of addictive thought. Ultimately, Addictive Thinking offers hope to those seeking a healthy and rewarding life recovery.

With over 20 years of experience between them, clinical therapists Christy Cosper and Darrin Ford have poured their expertise and personal discoveries into a book designed for healing and growth from addictive behaviors. Steeped in science and grounded in mindfulness, the authors have written a workbook for the addict that examines the poison of addiction, offers antidotes, and raises awareness of the self. Written in both the first and third person, Transforming the Addictive Mind contains a variety of voices who have treated and struggled through addiction. The exercises, meditative activities, case studies, and personal stories are written simply enough to follow, while having the elements needed to foster honesty, compassion, and gentleness with one's self and relationship to others.

There is no area of medicine more infused with misinformation than addiction medicine. This was the conclusion of a 2012 report out of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University and the conclusion of this book's author. The vast inaccuracies will be untangled so you the reader can have a much better understanding of the abstract concept of addiction. Much is clarified in this book, including: the scope of intoxication throughout the animal kingdom, the history of drug use and addiction within humans, why possessing drugs became a crime in the United States and the consequences thereafter, the evolving definitions and diagnosis criteria, along with the theories of what causes someone to become addicted. The significant developments over the last 75 years will be explained from the fields of psychology and neuroscience. Written in an easy to follow manner, this book requires no previous knowledge on addictive disorders and you the reader will be left with a superior understanding of this misunderstood brain disorder.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER More people than ever before see themselves as addicted to, or recovering from, addiction, whether it be alcohol or drugs, prescription meds, sex, gambling, porn, or the internet. But despite the unprecedented attention, our understanding of addiction is trapped in unfounded 20th century ideas, addiction as a crime or as brain disease, and in equally outdated treatment. Challenging both the idea of the addict's "broken brain" and the notion of a simple "addictive personality," The New York Times Bestseller, Unbroken Brain, offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addictions are learning disorders and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention and policy. Like autistic traits, addictive behaviors fall on a spectrum -- and they can be a normal response to an extreme situation. By illustrating what addiction is, and is not, the book illustrates how timing, history, family, peers, culture and chemicals come together to create both illness and recovery- and why there is no "addictive personality" or single treatment that works for all. Combining Maia Szalavitz's personal story with a distillation of more than 25 years of science and research,Unbroken Brain provides a paradigm-shifting approach to thinking about addiction. Her writings on radical addiction therapies have been featured in The Washington Post, Vice Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, in addition to multiple other publications. She has been interviewed about her book on many radio shows including Fresh Air with Terry Gross and The Brian Lehrer show.