About a decade ago, psychologists began exploring the commonalities among alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, and obesity. The term sub stance abuse evolved into the current concept of addictive behaviors, which recognizes similarities with other behaviors that do not involve consummatory responses (e. g. , pathological gambling, compulsions, sexual deviations). Professional societies and journals now have been founded in both Britain and the United States with the purpose of focus ing on research and treatment in the area of addictive behaviors. As the field has evolved, new models have emerged to address the questions and puzzles that face professionals. This volume examines some of these current issues and, in particular, explores common pro cesses of change that seem to cut across the addictive behaviors. The chapters are based on papers presented at the Third International Con ference on Treatment of Addictive Behaviors, which was held at North Berwick, Scotland, in August of 1984. The conference was organized around an integrative model of stages and processes of change that has been useful in organizing new knowledge about how to intervene with addictive behaviors. This model is set forth by its authors, Jim Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente, in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, Fred Kanfer ex pounds his own model of self-regulation, which overlaps nicely with the Prochaska-DiClemente framework and provides a behavioral-theoretical context.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. Psychoanalytic studies of addictive behavior 2. self regulation vulnerabilities in substance abusers: treatment implications 3. compulsiveness and conflict: the distinction between description and explanation in the treatment of addictive behavior 4. disorders of emotional development in addictive behavior 5. erotic passion: a form of addiction 6. sexual addiction 7. psychic helplessness and the psychology of addiction 8. a child analyst looks at addictive behavior 9. transitional and autistic phenomena in addictive behavior 10. the advantages of multiple approaches to understand addictive behavior.

This volume proposes that prevailing clinical approaches to treating addictive behaviors are actually best suited to a minority of the population with problems--in the case of substance abusers, those with substantial functional impairment and physical dependence. But what about persons with mild to moderate addictive behavior problems, for whom intensive treatment may prove unnecessarily costly, disruptive, and stigmatizing? Or those substance abusers who are unable or unmotivated to abstain, but want to reduce the harm associated with drug use? Contributors draw upon cutting-edge theory and research to examine ways that traditional therapeutic treatments can be supplemented by public health interventions that extend the reach and effectiveness of care. Timely and pragmatic, the book points the way toward necessary evolutions in the roles of behavior change specialists in today's challenging health care environment.

As a clinician or researcher in the field of mental health or addictions, this book will offer you powerful insight into how acceptance and mindfulness-based interventions are being successfully used to treat a variety of addictive behaviors, ranging from substance abuse to gambling addiction. Edited by Steven C. Hayes, a founder of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and a world renowned authority on mindfulness-based therapy, Mindfulness and Acceptance for Addictive Behaviors features chapters by leading substance abuse and addiction researchers. Each article illuminates the mindfulness and acceptance-based treatments that work best for particular addictive behaviors, reviews empirical data, and discusses future directions for research and treatment applications. An essential resource for mental health and addictions professionals, researchers, and students interested in the most effective treatments for addiction, this book will dramatically impact the way addictions of all kinds are viewed and addressed in therapy. In this book, you will learn to apply mindfulness and acceptance to help patients with: Alcoholism Substance abuse Smoking cessation Gambling addiction Pornography addiction Binge eating Detoxification Self-stigma and shame The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series As mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies gain momentum in the field of mental health, it is increasingly important for professionals to understand the full range of their applications. To keep up with the growing demand for authoritative resources on these treatments, The Mindfulness and Acceptance Practica Series was created. These edited books cover a range of evidence-based treatments, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) therapy. Incorporating new research in the field of psychology, these books are powerful tools for mental health clinicians, researchers, advanced students, and anyone interested in the growth of mindfulness and acceptance strategies.

This comprehensive clinical resource and text is grounded in cutting-edge knowledge about the biopsychosocial processes involved in addictive behaviors. Presented are research-based, eminently practical strategies for assessing the treatment needs and ongoing clinical outcomes of individuals who have problems with substance use and nonchemical addictions. From leading contributors, the book shows how to weave assessment through the entire process of care, from the initial screening to intervention, relapse prevention, and posttreatment monitoring.

"The book has two primary goals. The first is to challenge and strengthen the reader's understanding of addiction by exploring how others in the field have come to know it. We hope that this will enable the reader to create a clear and logically consistent perspective on addiction. The second goal is to show the reader how theory and research are important to both the prevention and the treatment of substance abuse. This information should provide the reader with an array of strategies for addressing substance abuse problems and help make him or her an effective practitioner"--

DSM-V broke new ground in May of 2013, designating a new disorder called "behavioral addiction." Clinicians immediately wanted to know: how is a behavioral addiction different from an impulse control disorder? What are the criteria for determining that some behaviors are addictions rather than impulses? What, if anything, does this mean in terms of effective treatment?Behavioral Addictions is the first and most authoritative text ever written on the subject of behavioral addictions. This comprehensive work explains the criteria used to determine addiction, the evidence for identifying assorted behaviors as addictions, and the evidence-based treatment for each.With contributions from preeminent experts covering an exhaustive list of behavioral addictions, this book is unique in its coverage of behavioral addictions, their criteria, and treatment. It is a valuable and timely resource for any clinician treating addictions. A guide to understanding the new DSM-V designation of behavioral addiction Defines the criteria for behavior to be considered an addiction designation Discusses the evidence for behaviors meeting addiction criteria Identifies what is now, likely will be, and is not a behavioral addiction per evidence Discusses behaviors formerly considered impulse control disorders Presents evidence-based treatment for each behavioral addiction