Too often addiction is perceived to be merely a moral weakness or purely a brain disease, ignoring the deep personal pain that can permeate the lives of the addicted. Doctors Khantzian and Albanese see addictions primarily as a kind of self-medication that can temporarily soothe anxiety or pain, but that ultimately wreaks havoc on the lives and health of both the addicted and their loved ones. With practical advice, compelling case studies, and nuanced theory drawn from years of clinical practice, this book looks at the underlying reasons behind many addictions and provides a pathway to hope.--From publisher description.
Includes bibliographical notes and bibliography (p. 127-150) and index.
Processing Action (note)
committed to retain
Contents
Why the self-medication hypothesis? -- Addiction: disease or disorder -- The SMH and addiction as a problem in self-regulation -- Self-medication hypothesis research: affect regulation and drug preference / Jess J. Suh -- Contexts and models for understanding addiction: a brief overview -- Suffering and self-medication -- Self-medication, psychiatric disorders, and emotional pain -- Trauma and the self-medication hypothesis -- Addiction and the perpetuation of suffering -- Nicotine, marijuana, and the SMH -- Gambling and other behavioral disorders: does the SMH apply? -- The neurobiology of addictions -- How the SMH can guide treatment and recovery.