A groundbreaking, “timely and well-written” (Booklist, starred review) guide to addiction from a psychiatrist and public health doctor, offering practical, proven solutions for individuals, families, and communities dealing with substance use and abuse. Written with warmth, accessibility, and vast authority, The Addiction Solution is a practical guide through the world of drug use and abuse and addiction treatment. Here, Lloyd I. Sederer, MD, brings together scientific and clinical knowledge, policy suggestions, and case studies to describe our current drug crisis and establish a clear path forward to recovery and health. In a time when so many people are affected by the addiction epidemic, when 142 people die of overdoses every day in the United States, principally from opioids, Sederer’s decades of wisdom and clinical experience are needed more than ever before. With a timely focus on opioids, Sederer takes us through the proven essentials of addiction treatment and explains why so many of our current policies, like the lingering remnants of the War on Drugs, fail to help drug users, their families, and their wider communities. He identifies a key insight, often overlooked in popular and professional writing about addiction and its treatment: namely, that people who use drugs do so to meet specific needs, and that drugs may be the best solution those people currently have. Writing with generosity and empathy about the many Americans who use illicit and prescribed substances, Sederer lays out specific, evidence-based, researched solutions to the prevention and problems of drug use, including exercise, medications, therapy, recovery programs, and community services. “Comprehensive…well-informed and accessible” (Kirkus Reviews), The Addiction Solution provides invaluable help, comfort, and hope.

A revolutionary and empowering paradigm in treating addiction based on groundbreaking new science. For decades addiction has been viewed and treated as a social and behavioral illness, afflicting people of "weak" character and "bad" moral fiber. However, recent breakthroughs in genetic technology have enabled doctors, for the first time, to correctly diagnose the disease and prove that addiction is an inherited, neuro-chemical disease originating in brain chemistry, determined by genetics, and triggered by stress. In their groundbreaking The Addiction Solution, David Kipper, MD, and Steven Whitney distill these exciting findings into a guide for the millions of adults who want to be free from the cycle of addiction, and for their loved ones who want to better understand it and to help. It draws on composite case histories to illustrate how the innovative Personal Recovery Program works by customizing treatment for a diverse group of addicts abusing a wide variety of different substances—from the first day of treatment to its successful resolution. The result is a complete guide to a world made brand-new by this enormous paradigm shift in the treatment of addiction.

Have you ever wondered how you might carve more meaning and purpose out of your crowded days? The answer is simple: cut out the "soft addictions." As Judith Wright reveals in this revised and expanded edition of her classic self-help book There Must Be More Than This, many of us are addicted to seemingly harmless and socially sanctioned habits such as shopping, watching TV, and gossiping-robbing us of our time, clouding our clarity of mind, and masking our deeper longing for lasting joy. According to Wright, soft addictions are seductive because they satisfy powerful desires-and we easily become hooked because they are perceived as "normal" behavior, behavior that doesn't seem to demand the extraordinary measures of a drug or alcohol addiction. Yet soft addictions do call out for action and in this groundbreaking book, Judith Wright explains why they are so damaging and outlines an effective plan for overcoming these negative habits to discover more passion, love, commitment, and meaning in our lives.

As America's #1 health problem, effective new tools for the addiction treatment community are scarce, of high value, and in great demand. Addiction: From Suffering to Solution is one of those tools which will prove invaluable, have a wide range of appeal and is an excellent primer for the Integrative Holistic Recovery approach. As a former police officer, Dr. Bradley knows and understands addiction from an insider's perspective, down and dirty, up close and personal. When his little girl was only two years old he discovered his wife was a chronic alcoholic. Then, when his daughter was in her late teens, he found out that she was a drug addict.The dynamics, drama and trauma of codependency and enabling became first-hand experience as Dr. Bradley surrendered to the truth about his little girl. He came to the critical understanding it was possible she might die living out on the streets, but most likely would die if he continued to enable her at home, So, he kicked her out with the understanding she could only come back home if she sought professional help. Thankfully she eventually did choose treatment, has been clean for many years and their relationship has been wonderfully restored.Presenting the most well-informed integrative perspective on addiction and recovery currently in publication, this book is excellent for individuals, families suffering the pain of addiction and especially for addiction recovery professionals. Dr. Bradley's perspective on the spiritual dimensions of recovery provides great hope for our community on the deeper meaning of 12-Step spirituality, and the healing journey both required and available that this pathway provides for any individual, and for our communities. Dr. Bradley's understanding of the relationships between all four bio/psycho/social/spiritual dimensions of the recovery lifespan is unsurpassed. For those in the treatment and recovery field who deeply understand the healing that is required and available to recover from addictive disorders of all kinds, Addiction: From Suffering To Solution provides hope that a full and complete recovery is not only possible, but promised to those who attend to this wisdom.

Solution-Focused Substance Abuse Treatment describes the standard of care for substance abuse treatment, demonstrates how solution-focused brief therapy exceeds this standard, and shows how it can effectively be used in substance abuse evaluation, case management, and both individual and group treatment. Beginning and advanced concepts are provided to address the questions of even the most advanced clinician, all placed in the context of cultural awareness. Most importantly, the author answers the many questions professionals may have about how solution-focused brief therapy can be successfully integrated into the field of substance abuse. It provides a thorough understanding of the issues that therapists face when working with this at times challenging population, and demonstrates how the use of solution-focused brief therapy can minimize power struggles and enhance client success. Sample forms and handouts are included, as are additional resources for effective evaluation and treatment.

Use goal-oriented techniques for successful family therapy with substance abusers!Family therapy is an essential core competency for substance-abuse counselors, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Family Solutions for Substance Abuse: Clinical and Counseling Approaches delivers the information and techniques you need to effectively treat addicts and their families. By understanding and changing the dynamics of the family system, you will be better able to guide your clients to adopt strategies and behaviors that sustain recovery and maintain healthy relationships.Family Solutions for Substance Abuse provides clear models of diagnosis and intervention for families, whether that means couples, teenagers and their parents, or Mom, Dad, and the kids. The theoretical background on family systems will help you understand the context of the client's addiction and the way it affects and is affected by other family members. Numerous case studies and figures bring the expert advice and theory into the practical realm so you can choose the best strategies for helping the shattered family heal.Family Solutions for Substance Abuse will teach you useful therapeutic skills and strategies, including: understanding interdependence joining with different family members negotiating goals and contracts dealing with family violence assessing motivation handling relapses ending treatment Treating addictions is notoriously difficult for even the most skilled therapist working with the most motivated client. Using the techniques in Family Solutions for Substance Abuse offers you and your clients a better chance at success, because addicts whose families share their treatment are much more likely to stay in counseling and remain clean and sober.

Why medication-assisted treatment, the most effective tool for battling opioid addiction, is significantly underused in the United States. Bronze Winner of the 2021 IPPY Book Award in Health/Medicine/Nutrition, Gold Winner of the 2020 Foreword INDIES Award in Health America's addiction crisis is growing worse. More than 115 Americans die daily from opioid overdoses, with half a million deaths expected in the next decade. Time and again, scientific studies show that medications like Suboxone and methadone are the most reliable and effective treatment, yet more than 60 percent of US addiction treatment centers fail to provide access to them. In The Opioid Fix, Barbara Andraka-Christou highlights both the promise and the underuse of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Addiction, Andraka-Christou writes, is a chronic medical condition. Why treat it, then, outside of mainstream medicine? Drawing on more than 100 in-depth interviews with people in recovery, their family members, treatment providers, and policy makers, Andraka-Christou reveals a troubling landscape characterized by underregulated treatment centers and unnecessary ideological battles between twelve-step support groups and medication providers. The resistance to MAT—from physicians who won't prescribe it, to drug courts that prohibit it, to politicians who overregulate it—showcases the narrow-mindedness of the system and why it isn't working. Recounting the true stories of people in recovery, this groundbreaking book argues that MAT needs to be available to anyone suffering from opioid addiction. Unlike other books about the opioid crisis, which have largely focused on causal factors like pharmaceutical overprescription and heroin trafficking, this book focuses on people who have already developed an opioid addiction but are struggling to find effective treatment. Validating the experience of hundreds of thousands of Americans, The Opioid Fix sounds a loud call for policy reforms that will help put lifesaving drugs into the hands of those who need them the most.

An eye-opening tour of the addiction treatment industry explores the gap between what should happen and what does What happens inside drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and how rehab works are a mystery to those outside the industry – and sometimes even to those inside it. Anne M. Fletcher is a trusted New York Times bestselling health and medical writer who visited 15 addiction treatment centers—from outpatient programs for the indigent to famous celebrity rehabs; from the sites of renowned Twelve-Step centers to several unconventional programs—to find out what really happens. What she reveals ranges from inspirational to irresponsible, and, in some cases, potentially dangerous. Real Stories: As always with her books, Fletcher gets the inside story by turning to real people who “have been there,” interviewing more than 100 individuals whose compelling stories illustrate serious issues facing people in rehab and endemic in the rehab industry today. Connected Writer and Researcher who has earned the respect (and cooperation) of experts throughout the fields she’s taken on. Inside Rehab is no exception—Fletcher has interviewed more than 100 professionals working in the field, including a mix of rehab staffers and administrators as well as leading academics. Rehab is constantly covered in the media, as celebrities battle their drug and alcohol issues in the spotlight and reality TV puts recovery in prime time. Addiction is no longer only a personal struggle—it’s a pop culture phenomenon. Myth Busting: Fletcher exposes twelve supposed facts for the falsehoods they are, including “rehab is necessary for most people to recover from addictions;” “highly trained professionals provide most of the treatment in addiction programs;” and “drugs should not be used to treat a drug addict.” Fletcher’s most important finding is the alarming discrepancy between the treatments being employed at many rehab centers and the treatments recommended by leading experts and supported by scientific research. Guidance and Practical Solutions: Inside Rehab also highlights what is working, spotlights state-of-the-art programs and practices, and offers advice and guidance for people seeking quality care and treatment for themselves or those they care about. Inside Rehab is the first book to give readers a thoughtful, sensitive, and bracingly honest insider’s view of the drug and alcohol rehab industry in America. For people seeking quality care for themselves or a loved one, Inside Rehab is essential reading, offering a wealth of accurate information and wise guidance.

In Improving Mental Health: Four Secrets in Plain Sight, Dr. Lloyd Sederer, a renowned psychiatrist, clinical administrator, and public health advocate, explores four foundational truths he has identified over his extensive career. These "secrets," as he calls them, are hidden in plain sight. They are epiphanies, which can enable practitioners, patients and families to better understand mental illness and improve lives. Written for clinicians in both mental health and primary care, as well as lay readers, this eloquent and concise book is full of apt, beautifully crafted patient stories designed to illuminate four secrets for a happier life. Dr. Sederer also uses historical incidents, wisdom culled from books and movies, and research findings to support his theme. Rarely are books written for mental health practitioners so richly drawn, compassionate, and insightful. Improving Mental Health: Four Secrets in Plain Sight will help clinicians understand their patients—and patients understand themselves.