Author : Michael J. Kuhar
Publisher : FT Press
Page : 237 pages
File Size : 38,70 MB
Release : 2012
Category : Family & Relationships
ISBN : 0132542501
"The Addicted Brain" explains clearly and vividly what has been learned about how and why some people become addicted and abuse drugs or other substances, the relatively long-term changes these substances can make in the brain, and the progress being made on treatments.
Author : Kenneth Blum
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 346 pages
File Size : 27,99 MB
Release : 2010-06-15
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 1451602286
An understanding of the nature and progression of alcohol addiction has emerged: alcoholism as the result of an imbalance in the brain's natural production of neurotransmitters critical to our sense of wellbeing. This imbalance, which an increasing amount of evidence is demonstrating to be genetically influenced, produces a craving temporarily satisfied by drinking. Alcohol and the Addictive Brain is an account of the scientific discoveries concerning alcoholism.
Author : Judith Grisel
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 18,21 MB
Release : 2019-02-19
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0385542852
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From a renowned behavioral neuroscientist and recovering addict, a rare page-turning work of science that draws on personal insights to reveal how drugs work, the dangerous hold they can take on the brain, and the surprising way to combat today's epidemic of addiction. Judith Grisel was a daily drug user and college dropout when she began to consider that her addiction might have a cure, one that she herself could perhaps discover by studying the brain. Now, after twenty-five years as a neuroscientist, she shares what she and other scientists have learned about addiction, enriched by captivating glimpses of her personal journey. In Never Enough, Grisel reveals the unfortunate bottom line of all regular drug use: there is no such thing as a free lunch. All drugs act on the brain in a way that diminishes their enjoyable effects and creates unpleasant ones with repeated use. Yet they have their appeal, and Grisel draws on anecdotes both comic and tragic from her own days of using as she limns the science behind the love of various drugs, from marijuana to alcohol, opiates to psychedelics, speed to spice. With more than one in five people over the age of fourteen addicted, drug abuse has been called the most formidable health problem worldwide, and Grisel delves with compassion into the science of this scourge. She points to what is different about the brains of addicts even before they first pick up a drink or drug, highlights the changes that take place in the brain and behavior as a result of chronic using, and shares the surprising hidden gifts of personality that addiction can expose. She describes what drove her to addiction, what helped her recover, and her belief that a “cure” for addiction will not be found in our individual brains but in the way we interact with our communities. Set apart by its color, candor, and bell-clear writing, Never Enough is a revelatory look at the roles drugs play in all of our lives and offers crucial new insight into how we can solve the epidemic of abuse.
Author : Louis Teresi, MD
Publisher : Author House
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 49,95 MB
Release : 2011-10
Category : Medical
ISBN : 1463444842
Hijacking the Brain provides the first-ever scientific explanation for the success of Twelve-Step programs. Hijacking the Brain examines data provided by recent rapid growth in the fields of neuroscience, neuroimaging, psychology, sociobiology and interpersonal neurobiology that have given us new, dramatic insights into the neural and hormonal correlates of stress and addiction, cognitive decline with addiction, as well as for the relative success of Twelve-Step Programs of recovery. Addiction is recognized by experts as an organic brain disease, and most experts promote Twelve-Step programs (AA, NA, CA, etc.) which invoke a 'spiritual solution' for recovery. To date, no one has described why these programs work. 'Hijack' tells us why. In 'Hijack, ' the role of 'working The Steps' for reducing stress and becoming emotionally centered is discussed in depth. A full chapter is devoted to the rewarding and comforting physiology of meditation and the spiritual experience. The author uses examples from animal sociobiology, as well as sophisticated human brain-imaging studies, to demonstrate that empathic socialization and altruism are instinctive and 'naturally rewarding' and, along with Step Work, act as a substitute for the 'synthetic rewards' of drugs of abuse. 'Hijack' does not challenge the Steps or the Traditions of Twelve-Step programs. The sole intention of Hijacking the Brain is to 'connect the dots' between an 'organic brain disease' and a 'spiritual solution' with sound physical, scientific evidence. Avoiding strict scientific language as much as possible, 'Hijack' is written for the layperson and abundantly illustrated.
Author : Marc Lewis
Publisher : Doubleday Canada
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 48,90 MB
Release : 2011-10-04
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0385669267
A gripping, ultimately triumphant memoir that's also the most comprehensive and comprehensible study of the neuroscience of addiction written for the general public. FROM THE INTRODUCTION: "We are prone to a cycle of craving what we don't have, finding it, using it up or losing it, and then craving it all the more. This cycle is at the root of all addictions, addictions to drugs, sex, love, cigarettes, soap operas, wealth, and wisdom itself. But why should this be so? Why are we desperate for what we don't have, or can't have, often at great cost to what we do have, thereby risking our peace and contentment, our safety, and even our lives?" The answer, says Dr. Marc Lewis, lies in the structure and function of the human brain. Marc Lewis is a distinguished neuroscientist. And, for many years, he was a drug addict himself, dependent on a series of dangerous substances, from LSD to heroin. His narrative moves back and forth between the often dark, compellingly recounted story of his relationship with drugs and a revelatory analysis of what was going on in his brain. He shows how drugs speak to the brain - which is designed to seek rewards and soothe pain - in its own language. He shows in detail the neural mechanics of a variety of powerful drugs and of the onset of addiction, itself a distortion of normal perception. Dr. Lewis freed himself from addiction and ended up studying it. At the age of 30 he traded in his pharmaceutical supplies for the life of a graduate student, eventually becoming a professor of developmental psychology, and then of neuroscience - his field for the last 12 years. This is the story of his journey, seen from the inside out.
Author : David K. Miller
Publisher :
Page : 202 pages
File Size : 23,5 MB
Release : 2000
Category : Alcoholism
ISBN : 9781878267429
In the groundbreaking work, Miller ad Blum provide an in-depth picture of what attention deficit hyperactivity disorder really looks like, why people self-medicate with mood-altering substances, and how this leads to addiction. Miller and Blum also offer possible solutions for escaping the deadly spiral that entraps those unfortunate enough to be afflicted by both illnesses. The book contains Millers poignant and enlightening first-person account of his battle with ADHD and alcohol, as well as case studies that highlight other problems associated with the disorder. Providing the right balance of scientific information, Blum analyzes genetic influences, brain chemistry, and behavioral reactions to give a full picture of ADHD and addiction.
Author :
Publisher :
Page : 76 pages
File Size : 40,81 MB
Release : 2007
Category : Brain
ISBN :
Author : Harold Urschel
Publisher : Sourcebooks, Inc.
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 35,75 MB
Release : 2009-04-01
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 140222382X
New York Times Bestseller! "New, scientifically-based approaches that recognize the biological basis of addiction have brought major advances in the treatment of addiction. Dr. Urschel is at the forefront of this treatment paradigm." Dr. Larry Hanselka, Psychologist The Proven Scientific Approach to Conquering Addiction and Defeating the Disease Healing the Addicted Brain is a breakthrough work that focuses on treating drug and alcohol addiction as a biological disease—based on the Recovery Science program that has helped thousands of patients defeat their addictions over the past 10 years. It combines the best behavioral addiction treatments with the latest scientific research into brain functions, providing tools and strategies designed to overcome the biological factors that cause addictive behavior along with proven treatments and medications. Using this scientific approach, you will learn to conquer the physical factors that keep people tied to drug and alcohol addiction. The proven fact is addiction is not a moral failing or an issue of not having enough willpower. It is a disease of the brain that can and must be treated like other chronic medical illnesses —such as diabetes, hypertension, or asthma—in order to defeat the disease. This revolutionary program can triple the success rate of patients, from 20-30% to 90% There Is Hope. By understanding addiction and using 21st-century breakthroughs, for the first time drug and alcohol addiction can be, and will be, defeated.
Author : Walter Ling, MD
Publisher : New World Library
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 10,48 MB
Release : 2017-07-10
Category : Medical
ISBN : 1608685004
For anyone trying to overcome an addiction, living with someone with an addiction, or helping someone with an addiction As most drug and alcohol addicts eventually realize, good intentions alone aren’t enough to break destructive habits. However, addiction can be managed once its true nature is understood. This simple yet profound guidebook takes you step-by-step through the process of building a life after addiction by adopting new behaviors that create lasting change. An internationally renowned psychiatrist, neurologist, and addiction specialist, Dr. Walter Ling has worked with thousands of addicts, their loved ones, and fellow clinicians. His no-nonsense, no-judgment approach, which he calls the “neuroscience of common sense,” advocates holistic methods to prevent relapse and establish new patterns to create a sustainable, meaningful life.
Author : Marc Lewis
Publisher : PublicAffairs
Page : 175 pages
File Size : 47,65 MB
Release : 2015-07-14
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 1610394380
Through the vivid, true stories of five people who journeyed into and out of addiction, a renowned neuroscientist explains why the "disease model" of addiction is wrong and illuminates the path to recovery. The psychiatric establishment and rehab industry in the Western world have branded addiction a brain disease. But in The Biology of Desire, cognitive neuroscientist and former addict Marc Lewis makes a convincing case that addiction is not a disease, and shows why the disease model has become an obstacle to healing. Lewis reveals addiction as an unintended consequence of the brain doing what it's supposed to do-seek pleasure and relief-in a world that's not cooperating. As a result, most treatment based on the disease model fails. Lewis shows how treatment can be retooled to achieve lasting recovery. This is enlightening and optimistic reading for anyone who has wrestled with addiction either personally or professionally.
