The Addiction Casebook

by Petros Levounis MD MA, Abigail J. Herron DO

Overview

The Addiction Casebook presents 12 patients with DSM-5 addiction diagnoses—plus one experiencing problematic Internet use—and illustrates practical and successful strategies for diagnosing and treating these patients. The book's cases are analogous to those that clinicians commonly encounter in their everyday practice and effectively demonstrate the intersection of addiction with other psychiatric diagnoses. The experience and clinical wisdom of three generations of addiction specialists are distilled into a single volume that includes the most salient ideas and treatment suggestions for clinicians.

This informative, practical volume strikes a colloquial, and sometimes humorous, tone. General psychiatrists and psychiatric residents seeking to gain expertise in and an understanding of addiction will find it a delight to read, as will a diverse audience of family practitioners, internists, pediatricians, medical students, allied professionals, and anyone interested in sharpening her or his clinical skills.

The book is the first to cover the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of substance use disorders and other addictions within the DSM-5 framework. Its many valuable and helpful features include • An outline of the progression in thinking about psychiatric diagnoses with the move from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5. • Descriptions of hands-on experience with the current diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders and other addictions that complement substance abuse textbooks and bring the material to life. • Coverage of such subject areas as alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, hallucinogen, inhalant, opioid, sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, stimulant, tobacco, gambling, and Internet addictions. • Key points and multiple-answer questions at the end of each chapter that highlight the chapter's most pertinent takeaways and apply and strengthen readers' knowledge of chapter information.• Extensive use of tables, figures, charts, and other instructive materials to illuminate and clarify addiction concepts.

In their preface, the authors assert their hope that the book "will provide the fundamental tools for working with the substance-using patient in the hospital, the clinic, and the community." The Addiction Casebook exceeds its goal by providing mental health and other medical practitioners with timely, current strategies for addiction diagnosis and treatment in a succinct, engaging, and entertaining volume.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585624584
Publisher:	American Psychiatric Association Publishing
Publication date:	02/12/2014
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., is the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey.

Abigail J. Herron, D.O., is the Director of the Fellowship in Addiction Medicine and Acting Medical Director of the Addiction Institute of New York at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, New York.

Table of Contents

ContributorsPrefacePart I. IntroductionChapter 1. DSM-5 Criteria for Substance Use Disorders: Recommendations and RationalePart II. Substance-Related DisordersChapter 2. Alcohol: Conundrums of Co-occurring DisordersChapter 3. Caffeine: The Ins and Outs of CaffeineChapter 4. Cannabis: A Natural DilemmaChapter 5. Hallucinogens: The Mind Field of Oswald: A Case of Hallucinogen IntoxicationChapter 6. Inhalants: Just say N2O!Chapter 7. Opioids: Finding the Off SwitchChapter 8. Sedatives, Hypnotics, or Anxiolytics: Sleepless Nights and the Magic PillsChapter 9. Stimulants: Sex, Drugs, and Techno: Gay Men and Crystal MethamphetamineChapter 10. Tobacco: From Social Norm to Modern Day Faux PasChapter 11. Other (or Unknown) Substances: The Brave New World of Bath Salts and Other Synthetic DrugsPart III. Non-Substance-Related DisorderChapter 12. Gambling: The Woman Who Became Tired of Trying to Predict the FuturePart IV. Condition for Further StudyChapter 13. Internet: Why Are Drug Addicts and People Who Use the Internet Both Called "Users?"Index

What People are Saying About This

The Addiction Casebook by Drs. Petros Levounis and Abigail Herron is a wonderful addition to the armamentarium of clinicians working with patients suffering from various types of addictive disorders. It is clearly written, with outstanding contributions from many generations of leading specialists in the field. The format of case-based presentations with key points and self-directed questions at the end of each chapter facilitates both an appropriate understanding of treatment options and how best to incorporate the most recent advances in the field into clinical practice. This book is a 'must read' for any practitioner who wants to provide state-of-the-art treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental disorders.

Andrew J. Saxon

The Addiction Casebook provides a clinically focused, basic introduction to diagnosis and treatment of DSM-5 substance-related and addictive disorders appropriate for clinicians with little experience in this area of medicine and psychiatry. In particular, the chapters on caffeine, hallucinogens, cathinones, and gambling convey clear, important, and useful information not always readily accessible elsewhere.

Annelle B. Primm

This book is an upbeat, informative, and enjoyable read. The authors have covered the landscape of addictions with catchy titles and rich content that brings the epidemiology, science, diagnosis, social context, and treatment of addiction into clear focus. The cases illustrate the realities and complexities of addictions and foster understanding of culturally responsive, nonjudgmental approaches to care.

Steven S. Kipnis

Petros and his team have done it again. This is a very easy format to follow and I especially liked the 'key points' and questions at the end of each chapter. I found the Q and A very helpful when I wanted to lead a discussion of the chapter.

Marc Galanter

Practice Guidelines can provide evidence-based findings for treatment. But, in order to practice effectively, clinicians need actual and vivid examples described by experts. This book provides just that, in a readable and cogent way. It's a must.

Analice Gigliotti

This little volume manages to pack much more than I expected from a casebook: it's full of current, DSM-5-based diagnostic tools, 'to the point' treatment recommendations, and lots and lots of practical tips for our busy clinics here in Rio. Does it deliver on its promise of guiding both general clinicians and addiction specialists? It certainly does.

Ismene L. Petrakis

The Addiction Casebook is a well written, easy to read primer on addictive disorders. Covering topics ranging from alcohol and comorbid psychiatric disorders, to cannabis, caffeine, hallucinogens as well as non-substance addictions, the Casebook uses compelling clinical material to make important clinical and practical points about the treatment of patients with addictive disorders. This Casebook is a valuable addition for a specialist in addiction, for the general practitioner who wishes to learn more about treating addition or as an educational tool for residents and fellows learning about addictive disorders, their neurobiology, epidemiology and appropriate treatments. An interesting and fun read!!

John A. Renner

This book will be an excellent resource for trainees in psychiatry and in the primary care specialties, as well as for other clinicians who work with individuals with substance-related and addictive disorders. The volume is clearly organized and very easy to read. It covers the full spectrum of substance use disorders including emerging areas of concern such as internet addiction. The clinical recommendations present up-to-date and evidence-based information in a format that is very user friendly. The narrative format makes it easy to follow and easy to understand. The cases and bullet points are relevant and help the clinician understand the thinking processes that support appropriate treatment decisions. In summary, this is an excellent review of the substance use disorders and how to manage these cases. It is an easy read for the novice and for the addiction specialist looking for the latest treatment recommendations in a very accessible format.

Jack Drescher

The Addiction Casebook provides both seasoned clinicians and those just beginning their training with well written and accessible case vignettes. Spanning a gamut from alcohol and opioids to cannabis and caffeine, this Casebook offers much timely and useful information for anyone treating a patient with an addiction problem.

Oscar G. Bukstein

In The Addiction Casebook, doctors Levounis and Herron have edited a very useful and readable book, using numerous experts in the field of addiction, to provide the reader to a solid basis in substance use disorders. Oriented around a case format, the book provides the fundamental tools for working with patients with a variety of addiction problems from alcohol to the internet.

Carol A. Bernstein

The Addiction Casebook by Drs. Petros Levounis and Abigail Herron is a wonderful addition to the armamentarium of clinicians working with patients suffering from various types of addictive disorders. It is clearly written, with outstanding contributions from many generations of leading specialists in the field. The format of case-based presentations with key points and self-directed questions at the end of each chapter facilitates both an appropriate understanding of treatment options and how best to incorporate the most recent advances in the field into clinical practice. This book is a 'must read' for any practitioner who wants to provide state-of-the-art treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental disorders.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Michael Easton, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This book covers a variety of topics in addiction and comorbid psychiatric disorders using clinical material to highlight relevant issues regarding the treatment of individuals with these disorders.
Purpose: Although it does not cover the range of current knowledge in this area, the book does provide fundamental tools for the clinical care of substance abusers in a variety of settings. It combines scientific and evidence-based knowledge with clinical cases to illustrate the complexity of treating these individuals.
Audience: Intended as a training tool, the book is geared toward trainees and clinicians who have little experience in this area. It also is intended to help readers understand the interaction of addiction with other psychiatric illness.
Features: The book begins by covering the changes in diagnosis from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-V and explaining the reasoning behind them. The next 11 chapters consider individual substances such as alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, tobacco, and other commonly abused substances, and includes a chapter on gambling and the Internet. Each chapter is formatted to provide brief, basic information on each substance in terms of epidemiology, pharmacology, clinical presentation, and the related DSM-V diagnostic criteria, in addition to a clinical case that elucidates and discusses various issues in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders.
Assessment: This is an easy read. It presents basic concepts helpful to trainees and individuals unfamiliar with these disorders. It uses clinical cases to illustrate real issues and the complexities that one encounters when treating individuals with these disorders. This is a useful book for residents, fellows, and other trainees who are learning about addictive disorders.

Doody's Review Service