Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, and the Road to Recovery: Life on the Edge

by Barry Stimmel

Overview

Gain a fuller understanding of substance addiction and treatment options!Originally published in 1992 as The Facts About Drug Use, this updated edition contains new information about the effects of alcohol and recreational, mood-altering drugs on the body. The multiple causes of drug use and the options available to those dependent on drugs as a way of life are thoroughly and clearly described. Drug use affects nearly 1 out of 2 Americans and cuts across every social and economic boundary. The effects of addiction on the individual are great, and the cumulative effects on society are staggering. Knowledge of the adverse effects of mood-altering drugs and why and how they are used excessively is a centerpiece of this book. It presents, intelligently and interestingly, ways to identify persons at risk and identify problems that the addicted encounter in attempts to become drug free. Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, and the Road to Recovery: Life on the Edge is an essential tool in both finding available resources for drug users and developing appropriate responses to today's drug problem.This remarkable, well-referenced book enables those with little or no background in science or health care to understand the complex issues surrounding drug use. It provides current, reliable, and unbiased information on methods for dealing with dependency upon alcohol and central nervous system depressants, hallucinogens, heroin, nicotine, marijuana, caffeine, amphetamines, designer drugs like Ecstasy, and steroids. A glossary listing common street names for drugs will be invaluable to those interested in identifying specific substances.This comprehensive volume will show you:

• who typically uses drugs and the reasons why they do
• how to classify mood-altering drugs
• how to identify and treat drug dependency
• areas of special concern such as multiple drug use, AIDS and drug use, drugs and pregnancy, drugs and sports, and drug testing technology

Chapter by chapter, this nonjudgmental book helps readers develop a better understanding of the effects of mood-altering substances and the reasons many continue to use them despite serious consequences. This is a valuable key to the nature of dependency and addiction, and the external forces (including poverty and homelessness) that promote such behavior.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317790099
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/25/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	436
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Barry Stimmel, Barry Stimmel

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgments PART I. BASIC CONCEPTS Chapter 1. Who Uses Drugs? Drugs and the Young Adults and Drug Use, Ethnicity and Drug Use, Drugs and the Work Place, Drug Use Among the Affluent , Summary Chapter 2. Classifying Mood-Altering Drugs Types of Classification Differences and Similarities Among Drug Groups Designer Drugs Club Drugs Performance-Enhancing Drugs Summary Chapter 3. Habituation, Dependency, and Addiction Defining Terms Effects of Drugs on the Brain Chapter 4. Why People Use Drugs Initiating Drug Use Biological Determinants Psychological Factors Environment and Conditioning Conclusion Chapter 5. Identifying Inappropriate Drug Use and Drug Dependency Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use Addressing Drug Abuse in Your Children Laboratory Aids to Identify Alcohol and Drug Use Value of Identifying the Drug User Chapter 6. Treating Drug Dependency Available Treatment Modalities Evaluation of Treatment After Treatment The Law and Drug Treatment PART II. MOOD-ALTERING DRUGS Chapter 7. Alcohol Patterns of Use Costs of Drinking Common Alcoholic Beverages How Alcohol Is Handled by the Body Effects of Environment Interaction with Other Drugs Dependency and Withdrawal Adverse Effects Diagnosis Reasons for Excessive Drinking Alcoholism: A Disease or a Psychological Disorder? Summary Chapter 8. Central Nervous System Depressants and Antianxiety Agents Patterns of Use Barbiturates Nonbarbiturate Hypnotics and Sedatives Other Central Nervous System Depressants Benzodiazepines Miscellaneous Antianxiety Agents Chapter 9. Powerful Hallucinogens, Phencyclidine, and Ecstasy Classification Adverse Effects of Hallucinogens Ecstasy Phencyclidine Ketamine Chapter 10. Marijuana Reefer Madness Patterns of Use Tolerance, Dependency, and Withdrawal Adverse Effects Moving to Stronger Drugs Medical Uses of Marijuana Conclusion Chapter 11. Opiates and Opioids Opium Preparations Action of Opioids on the Brain Effects of Opioids on the Body Tolerance, Dependency, and Withdrawal Opioids Susceptible to Nonmedical Use Opiate AgonistsAntagonists Partial Opioid Receptor Agonists Chapter 12. Heroin Addiction Heroin from Opium: The Street Trade Getting High and Coming Down Prevalence Adverse Effects The Challenge of Treating Heroin Addiction Measuring Treatment Effectiveness Chapter 13. Amphetamines, Amphetamine-Like Drugs, and Caffeine Amphetamines Amphetamine-Like Drugs Caffeine Chapter 14. Cocaine Patterns of Use Cocaine Metabolism Dependency, Tolerance, and Addiction Adverse Effects of Cocaine Treatment of Cocaine Dependency Chapter 15. Nicotine Cigarette Smokers Today Available Nicotine Products Ingredients in Tobacco Dependency, Tolerance, Addiction, and Withdrawal Adverse Effects of Smoking Treatment Chapter 16. Volatile Solvents, Anesthetics, and Organic Nitrites Volatile Solvents Anesthetic Agents Organic Nitrites PART III. AREAS OF SPECIAL CONCERN Chapter 17. Multiple Drug Use Alcohol and Other Drugs Smoking and Drug Use Opioids Cocaine Marijuana Treatment Chapter 18. AIDS and Drug Use HIV: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Preventing HIV Transmission Treatment of AIDS Relationship Between the Use of Non-Injecting Mood-Altering Drugs and HIV Infection Summary Chapter 19. Drugs, Pregnancy, and the Newborn Incidence of Drug Use During Pregnancy General Effects of Drugs on Pregnancy Outcome Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Debra Klbecka, MS (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This book describes substances such as alcohol, caffeine, heroin, and others that have the potential for abuse or dependency by individuals. The substances are described in detail and treatment for the dependencies are presented.
Purpose: According to the author, the purpose is to explain why a person may use substances, what the biological and psychological effects of the substances are on the person, and what treatments are available for the person with a substance abuse problem. The objectives are worthy and the author meets them.
Audience: The target audience includes individuals who are not necessarily healthcare professionals or who may not have a science background. I believe the author wrote the book for individuals who may encounter someone, including themselves, with a substance problem in hopes of securing a better understanding of the situation. To some degree, the author meets the needs of this audience. However, I think there is a need for some basic science knowledge to fully understand some of the concepts in the chapters, especially the mechanism of action of the substance.
Features: The book begins by presenting some basic concepts of substance abuse/dependency that include information on specific populations that are at risk, such as school age children, explanations of terms, issues such as legalizing and decriminalization of illicit drugs and available treatment models. The book provides the reader with more details of specific substances that have the potential for abuse. I particularly like this layout because it gave me the opportunity to jump around to chapters that interest me, but I ultimately found myself reading the entire book since it provided such useful information. The tables are concise and informative and easy to follow. The appendixes are adequate, but the list of the street names is overwhelming. Perhaps since I am a healthcare provider, I think a list of national support groups or treatment phone numbers would have been a useful addition.
Assessment: The book is well written and informative on the subject of substance abuse/dependency in our society. To understand some of the concepts, the reader would need some basic science to appreciate what the author has written. Certainly the information may help in earlier detection of someone who is addicted or to provide alternative treatments.

Doody's Review Service