Recently, the media have issued numerous reports about the apparent increase in OxyContin abuse and addiction. OxyContin has been heralded as a miracle drug that allows patients with chronic pain to resume a normal life. It has also been called pharmaceutical heroin and is thought to have been responsible for a number of deaths and robberies in…

This manual is designed as a cross-training program guide for counselors working in the fields of woman abuse and chemical dependency. (A cross-training program is a system for one (or more) agency personnel to train each other in their respective areas of expertise.) Chapter 1 discusses the rationale and goals of a cross-training program; issues…

Approximately one in four children in the United States is exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family. Countless other children are living in families in which there is illicit drug abuse. Growing evidence suggests that genetics and environmental factors can predispose children of substance abusing parents to behavioral problems…

This guide provides a detailed look at the biological basis of drug addiction, examining how the brain and its reward system work and how drug abuse can cause fundamental changes in the way the brain works. It is a resource for clinicians and practitioners. The first section of the guide provides an outline of the following basic concepts…