Introduction: Family and Friends--The First Responders to the
Addiction Crisis
I. What Is Addiction?
1. A Bewildering Illness
2. What Makes Someone an Addict, as Opposed to a Heavy Drinker or
Recreational User?
3. How Addiction Affects the Brain
4. Why Do Some People Become Addicts and Others Don’t?
5. So Is Addiction a Disease? (and If Not, What Is It?)
6. Why Do People Get Addicted to One Particular Substance and Not
Others?
7. What About Gambling Addiction, Sex Addiction, Etc.?
II. Living with an Addict
8. How Addicts Behave
9. How Loved Ones Are Affected
10. Denial, Enabling, and Codependency
11. The Stigma of Addiction
12. Strategies to Get a Loved One into Treatment
13. How to Cope When a Loved One Is Refusing Treatment
14. Dealing with a Child Who Is an Addict
15. Dealing with a Spouse Who is an Addict
16. Dealing with a Parent Who Is an Addict
III. Keeping an Addict Out of Trouble
17. Can an Employee Be Fired for Being an Addict?
18. Drug Courts and Other Ways to Keep an Addict Out of Jail
19. Using Civil Commitment to Keep an Addict Safe
20. More Ways to Protect an Addict from Harm
IV. How Treatment Works
21. Can Addicts Get Well without Treatment?
22. A Brief Overview of Treatment Options
23. What Really Happens in Detox?
24. What Really Happens in Rehab?
25. How to Find a Good Rehab--and Pay for It
26. Psychotherapy Approaches That Are Used for Addicts
27. Drugs That Treat Alcohol Abuse
28. Drugs That Treat Opioid Abuse
29. Does Alcoholics Anonymous Actually Work?
30. AA-Type Groups for Addictions Other than Alcohol
31. Alternative Support Groups for People Who Don’t Like AA
32. When an Addict Has Other Mental Health Problems
V. What to Expect in Recovery
33. What to Expect in Early Recovery
34. What Causes Relapse?
35. How to Prevent Relapse
36. What to Do If a Relapse Happens
37. Managing Addiction as a Long-Term Chronic Illness
Resources
Thomas F. Harrison is a professional writer and the former
editor of a national periodical for attorneys. After a close friend
developed a substance use problem, he devoted himself to helping
families and friends learn how to cope with the challenges of
addiction. He is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Hilary S. Connery, MD, PhD, is Clinical Director of the Division of
Alcohol and Drug Abuse at McLean Hospital in Belmont,
Massachusetts, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School. Dr. Connery has worked to educate family members
and involve them in treatment since entering clinical practice in
2000. Her expertise includes treatment of opioid use disorders and
of co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. She
contributed to the American Psychiatric Association Practice
Guideline for Treatment of Substance Abuse and is an investigator
in the New England Consortium of the National Drug Abuse Treatment
Clinical Trials Network. Dr. Connery is New England Director for
the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and is a national
physician mentor in the Prescriber’s Clinical Support System, which
trains practitioners throughout the country in evidence-based
medical care for substance use disorders.
"Employing sensible, reader-friendly language, the authors give us
a comprehensive, evidence-based primer on addictions, the
challenges they pose for individuals and families, and the many
treatment modalities currently available."--Gabor Maté, MD, author
of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With
Addiction
"Wow, someone finally gets it! As an addict with 13 years in
recovery, this book gives me so much insight into addiction,
codependency, and what I put my family through. It also reminds me
what people did that helped me, and what didn't help. Every family
member or friend of an addict should read this book! It brought
back a lot of pain for me, but is so accurate and enlightening. It
will help you save your loved one without ruining yourself in the
process."--Taffy L., San Rafael, California
"This greatly needed book is packed with invaluable information for
loved ones of people who struggle with addiction. Often lost and
left by the wayside in addiction treatment, families are now taken
by the hand and offered understandable explanations of complex
concepts, presented in an unbiased way. The book's compendium of
resources is remarkable."--Anne M. Fletcher, MS, RDN, author of
Inside Rehab and Sober for Good
"Accessible and comprehensive, this book equips you with the latest
understanding of the shattering challenges of addiction. Whether it
is your grown child, spouse, or other loved one who is afflicted,
this book reveals the best ways to offer support."--Robert Miranda
Jr., PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown
University
“I strongly recommend this book to all families who are struggling
to help a loved one with an addiction. I wish I'd had this book
when I first started to realize that my son had a problem. The book
explains the chemical changes in the brain that cause our loved
ones to continue abuse, and gives us insight on how their thought
process is altered. There is invaluable information on how to find
support groups, financial aid for treatment, and the best treatment
facilities. This book has brought me great peace by giving me a
better understanding of my son's addiction and his journey to
recovery."--Robin S., Atlanta, Georgia
"If you care about someone with an addiction, this is the book you
need. Families and friends often spend months or years of
frustration trying to figure out what addiction is and what they
can do about it. This highly practical book cuts right to the
chase--explaining the most current research and clinical experience
in plain English--and tells you everything you need to
know."--Joseph P. Scholl, LICSW, attending social worker, McLean
Hospital
"Families who are knowledgeable about addiction and its treatment
are in a better position to help the person they love. Without
'taking sides,' this easy-to-understand book describes a wide range
of treatment approaches and provides useful suggestions and
strategies for dealing with common issues. As an addiction
treatment specialist, I found many useful ideas for educating my
clients and their families."--Oscar G. Bukstein, MD, MPH,
Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard
Medical School -
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