Addiction What Everyone Needs to Know™

While historically a topic of great interest, controversies and general public discourse surrounding addiction have been growing rapidly, particularly in light of the rising death toll resulting from the opioid epidemic. Debates are heating up over issues of opioid prescribing practices, legalization of marijuana, the potential for substances such as marijuana to be truly “addictive,” the use of medication to treat individuals with addiction, and much more. In light of the common misconception that addictive behaviors are entirely volitional, misinformation and stigma have had a deleterious impact on the public’s understanding concerning the nature, causes, and treatments of substance use disorders. Despite decades of research and tens of thousands of published and peer-reviewed investigations, critics continue to ask whether addiction is a genuine medical condition or a choice.

In Addiction: What Everyone Needs to Know™, leading expert in the science and treatment of addiction Suzette Glasner aims to clear the air of some of the most polarizing and misleading information that dominates public thinking about addiction. Providing straight talk and sound guidelines for the general public as well as health professionals and policymakers, Glasner raises important questions related to addiction and answers them in an accessible yet empirically informed manner throughout the book. Offering an insightful overview of addiction from its origins, to forms of treatment and complications, this book will be the go-to resource for authoritative, up-to-date, accurate, and compelling information about this topic.

• Addresses essential questions and controversies about addiction in an accessible and effective question-and-answer format
• Shows what sensible, evidence-based policies might look like to address addiction and the rising overdose deaths
• Researched and written by a leading expert and award-winning book author in the science and treatment of addiction (and mental illness)

CONTENTS

Part 1: What Does Addiction Look Like?
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Understanding Addiction and Recovery
Chapter 3: Common Questions about Alcohol and Drugs
Part 2: There Is Real Hope: Treatments That Work
Chapter 4: Psychotherapy for Addiction
Chapter 5: Medications for Addiction
Part 3: Addiction and Recovery Long-Term: The Prognosis Can Be Great
Chapter 6: Life beyond Addiction
Resources for People with Addiction
References