If you are struggling to help a loved one recover from addiction--and to cope with the devastating impact on the whole family--you are not alone. But until now, there has been no single book that gives the millions of families like yours the comprehensive, unbiased information you need. This expertly written guide addresses the painful questions that spouses, parents, and grown children face every day. Why do addicts make such bad choices? How can you find (and afford) treatment that works--and convince your loved one to try it? Can relapse be prevented? When does being supportive cross the line to enabling? Providing science-based answers and resources, the authors cover crucial emotional, financial, and legal issues that simply aren't discussed in other books. The more your family knows about the myths and realities of addiction, the better equipped you will be to overcome it.
Introduction: Family and Friends--The First Responders to the Addiction Crisis I. What Is Addiction? 1. A Bewildering Illness 2. What Makes Someone an Addict, as Opposed to a Heavy Drinker or Recreational User? 3. How Addiction Affects the Brain 4. Why Do Some People Become Addicts and Others Don't? 5. So Is Addiction a Disease? (and If Not, What Is It?) 6. Why Do People Get Addicted to One Particular Substance and Not Others? 7. What About Gambling Addiction, Sex Addiction, Etc.? II. Living with an Addict 8. How Addicts Behave 9. How Loved Ones Are Affected 10. Denial, Enabling, and Codependency 11. The Stigma of Addiction 12. Strategies to Get a Loved One into Treatment 13. How to Cope When a Loved One Is Refusing Treatment 14. Dealing with a Child Who Is an Addict 15. Dealing with a Spouse Who is an Addict 16. Dealing with a Parent Who Is an Addict III. Keeping an Addict Out of Trouble 17. Can an Employee Be Fired for Being an Addict? 18. Drug Courts and Other Ways to Keep an Addict Out of Jail 19. Using Civil Commitment to Keep an Addict Safe 20. More Ways to Protect an Addict from Harm IV. How Treatment Works 21. Can Addicts Get Well without Treatment? 22. A Brief Overview of Treatment Options 23. What Really Happens in Detox? 24. What Really Happens in Rehab? 25. How to Find a Good Rehab--and Pay for It 26. Psychotherapy Approaches That Are Used for Addicts 27. Drugs That Treat Alcohol Abuse 28. Drugs That Treat Opioid Abuse 29. Does Alcoholics Anonymous Actually Work? 30. AA-Type Groups for Addictions Other than Alcohol 31. Alternative Support Groups for People Who Don't Like AA 32. When an Addict Has Other Mental Health Problems V. What to Expect in Recovery 33. What to Expect in Early Recovery 34. What Causes Relapse? 35. How to Prevent Relapse 36. What to Do If a Relapse Happens 37. Managing Addiction as a Long-Term Chronic Illness Resources
