NCJ Number
180579
Date Published
1995
Length
390 pages
Annotation
Based in the realization that drug addiction is a family disease that can have a devastating toll on family members, this book is designed to help both students and family members understand the dynamics of drug addiction, identify related problems earlier, and reduce the many negative consequences of drug/alcohol dependence and addiction on the abuser and his/her family.
Abstract
The first chapter provides an overview of the meanings and functions that drugs/alcohol have in the abuser's life, as well as an overview of the genetic and biological research on alcoholism, which establishes the foundation for the disease model. This is followed by a chapter with basic information on drugs/alcohol pharmacology. This chapter also outlines a behavioral definition of addiction and the progressive stages of drug/alcohol use. Intended as the core of this textbook, Chapter 4 provides all the necessary information on family dynamics, from enabling behavior to engaging family members into treatment. Chapter 5 is another key chapter, as it emphasizes feelings of shame, abandonment, and rejection in imbalanced family systems. The impact of shame on interpersonal interaction is described and lays the foundation for personality problems discussed in a later chapter. The theme of family extends into the next chapter with an update on adult children of alcoholics. Chapter 7 is new to this second edition; it examines the role of mood and personality in chemical dependency. Remaining chapters consider the prevention of drug/alcohol problems, drug/alcohol intervention, treatment and relapse prevention, and drugs/alcohol as the modern disease of American society. Chapter summaries and references