Describes the six tasks of the pretreatment recovery phase. It is in the pretreatment phase that chemically dependent people begin to acknowledge the consequences of their chemical use and struggle with issues of control. Once a person begins to recognize that a problem exists, the motivation for treatment is established. (Contains references.)…

Alcoholic male inpatients (N=26) who preferred disulfiram and who were entering a 28-day rehabilitation program were given either disulfiram, placebo, or nothing and were re-assessed about preferring disulfiram at discharge. The results appeared to show that the preference for disulfiram was unaffected by the treatment conditions. (Author/NB)

Surveyed the seven Roman Catholic dioceses of Florida to examine level of awareness of alcoholism and need for treatment as indicated by existence of programs for education, intervention, and treatment. Four dioceses had some strategy in place, two others saw such a need, and one said consciousness of need was gradually emerging. (Author/NB)

Discusses variety of approaches used to treat chemical dependency. Describes an adolescent program that integrates strengths of different perspectives and techniques. Concludes model is broad enough to address the wide variety of needs that chemically dependent adolescents present and represents a step toward joining of forces in chemical…

Examines problem of alcohol abuse and role of communication in "home treatment" method associated with alcoholism intervention. Reviews nature of alcoholism and role of "home treatment scenario"; demonstrates how alcohol intervention involves communication issues and dynamic interpersonal influence; and outlines research…

Examines history of substance abuse treatment for women; identifies barriers to treatment access; and explores socioeconomic, clinical, and systemic issues in the treatment of alcohol- and drug-dependent women. Gives special attention to the effects of substance abuse on women's relationships as daughters, partners, and parents and to its role in…

Offers three clinical guidelines designed to deliver quality chemical dependency care that is cost effective: use least restrictive level of care most likely to initiate abstinence; assess likelihood of treatment failure at level of care chosen and risks to client if treatment fails; and identify treatment failure quickly and move client to more…

Analyzed importance of previous suicidal behavior for treatment of alcoholics. Of 72 patients, 21 had previously seriously threatened or attempted suicide. Compared to other alcoholics, those with previous suicidal behavior had similar attrition rate, were not more troublesome in treatment, and had same rate of favorable outcome during third year…

Substance abuse is a major problem encountered by social workers in all settings. This study investigated the impact of a postmaster's program in the treatment of substance-abusing clients on the domains of "Attitudes and Values," "Knowledge and Skills," and "Behaviors" of its graduates. Overall, 91 percent of…

Context: Little is known about substance use and treatment utilization in rural communities of the United States/Mexico border. Purpose: To compare substance use and need and desire for treatment in rural colonias and urban areas of the border. Methods: Interviews were conducted in 2002-2003 with a random sample of adults living in the lower Rio…

This article presents an interview with Frank Miller, a renowned addictions assessment authority who jointly initiated the updated Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) versions and helped establish the inventories in the addictions assessment mainstream. Among other things, Miller describes how he began working at the SASSI Institute…

Many counselors, psychologists, and social workers assist clients to take psychotropic drugs but recoil from helping clients to rethink drug use or stop taking drugs. They might fear resisting the prevailing ideology, violating "standards of care," or contradicting physicians' advice. This article discusses withdrawal emergent reactions from…

While the epidemiologic trends concerning alprazolam (Xanax[R]) are unknown, the use of benzodiazepines, in general, has increased in popularity among youth within recent years. To shed light on the drug problem, the current pilot study used a qualitative approach to investigate relevant beliefs, norms, and perceived addiction associated with…

It appears that chronic drug use may develop as a means of coping in which individuals use self-medication to produce a more desirable state of being. Because drugs are often used to cope with stress, this study examined stress among recovering male drug addicts (N=23) from an urban substance abuse program by administering a self-report inventory…

Developed and tested multi-media nutrition unit for patients enrolled in an alcoholic treatment program. Content of the instruction was based on nutrition education needs which had been identified earlier. T-tests showed a significant increase in total test scores associated with instruction, suggesting that classes were effective for transmitting…