Understanding Addiction (Understanding Health and Sickness Series)
Clinical psychiatrist Henderson, a specialist on addiction, writes clearly and informatively on how addictions develop, how the addicted brain works, and what the different effects of the major addictive drugs are, and on genetic, psychological, and behavioral factors involved in addiction. Her experience is that most drugs are "gateways": start with one--marijuana, for example--and you very likely will go on to another. Marijuana is not harmless, she says, but is a serious drug that has no medical use that can't be matched by other treatments. About alcohol, Henderson says that, although theDiagnostic and StatisticalManual, psychiatry's bible, doesn't see alcoholism as a disease, it is in fact a "brain disorder" to which the will strongly contributes, for the "I-can-quit-anytime" response is mere denial. Henderson also explores addicts' problems with recovery, having more than one psychological disorder, and relapses.William BeattyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.