Addiction has touched the lives of nearly everyone, often leaving a path of chaos and destruction. This text clearly presents the topic of Addiction Medicine in a concise single volume that is presented in a manner that will be easily understood by the non-Addictionologist. Topics covered include the neurobiology of addiction, the most commonly abused substances and the behavior of the addict. A chapter is dedicated to growing up in a home with an addicted parent and the many challenges that relate to adult behaviors and the development of addiction. A structured approach to screening and diagnosing addiction as well as screening for comorbid psychiatric disorders is presented. Advice is given on how to move the addict along the stages of change and how stress affects the addict and what can be done to mitigate the effects. The spiritual aspects of addiction and recovery are discussed is detail as are twelve-step programs. Medical mnemonics and phrases commonly used in the recovering community are scattered throughout the text to aid retention and to help the clinician speak the language of recovery; relating better to the addict seeking help.
