Changing Addictive Behavior

Changing health-related behavior is for many people a lonely and isolating experience. Individual willpower is often not enough, particularly in addressing addictive behavior, but research increasingly points to the potential of group identity to shape behavior change and support recovery. This important collection explores the social and cognitive processes that enable people who join recovery groups to address their addictive issues. In an era of increasing concern at the long-term costs of chronic ill-health, the potential to leverage group identity to inspire resilience and recovery offers a timely and practical response. The book examines the theoretical foundations to a social identity approach in addressing behavior change across a range of contexts, including alcohol addiction, obesity and crime, while also examining topics such as the use of online forums to foster recovery. It will be essential reading for students, researchers and policy makers across health psychology and social care, as well as anyone interested in behavioral change and addiction recovery.

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.

One of the few books on the topic, this updated edition offers alternatives to disease models of addiction by exploring personal pathways to recovery. Focusing on alcohol and drug problems, it provides a literature review of 40 years of studies on self-change with particular emphasis on the current decade and methodological issues (starting with how much or how little treatment constitutes "treatment"). The 24 experts keep the coverage consistently readable, and dozens of brief narratives from individuals who have successfully recovered from an addictive behavior without formal help lend valuable personal perspectives.

Clear and compact guidance on integrating mindfulness into practice This clear and concise book provides practical, evidence-based guidance on the use of mindfulness in treatment: its mechanism of action, the disorders for which there is empirical evidence of efficacy, mindfulness practices and techniques, and how to integrate them into clinical practice. Leading experts describe the concepts and roots of mindfulness, and examine the science that has led to this extraordinarily rich and ancient practice becoming a foundation to many contemporary, evidenced-based approaches in psychotherapy. The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in conditions as diverse as borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, alcohol and substance use, emotional dysregulation, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, chronic stress, eating disorders, and other medical conditions including type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis is also described. The book is invaluable reading for all those curious about the current science around mindfulness and about how and when to incorporate it effectively into clinical practice.

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.

An Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Self-Help Book Recommendation. Winner of the 4Th International Beverly Hills Book Awards in the category of Addiction & Recovery! Is your addiction taking control of your life? This book provides an integrative, seven-step program to help you finally overcome drug and alcohol addiction, once and for all. If you struggle with addiction, seeking treatment is a powerful, positive first step toward eventual recovery. But gaining an understanding of the causes of addiction—such as feelings of helplessness or loss of control—is also crucial for recovery. In this book, addiction expert Suzette Glasner-Edwards offers evidence-based techniques fusing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based relapse prevention to help you move past your addictive behaviors. On the long road to addiction recovery, you need as many tools as possible to help you stay sober and reach your destination. That’s why this is the first book to combine research-proven motivational techniques, CBT, and mindfulness-based strategies to help you create your own unique recovery plan. The book can be used on its own or as an adjunct to rehab or therapy. It also makes a wonderful resource for loved ones and professionals treating addiction. If you're ready to take that important first step toward recovery, this book can help you beat your addiction and get back to living a full, meaningful life.

Not everyone who experiments with substance use or risky behavior becomes addicted, and many who are addicted have been able to recover. This authoritative book, now revised and updated, has given tens of thousands of professionals and students a state-of-the-art framework for understanding the journey both into and out of addiction. From Carlo C. DiClemente, codeveloper of the transtheoretical model (TTM), the book identifies the stages and processes involved in initiating, modifying, maintaining, or stopping any pattern of behavior. Grounded in extensive research, and illustrated with vivid case examples, the book shows how using the TTM can help overcome obstacles to change and make treatment and prevention more effective. New to This Edition *Incorporates 15 years of research advances, contemporary prevention and treatment approaches, and the ongoing development of the TTM. *Chapter on current developments in intervention research. *Expanded discussions of neuroscience; self-regulation; behavioral economics; self-help, mutual help, and spirituality; motivational issues; "process addictions" (gambling and sex addiction); and more. *Deeper coverage of risk and protective factors across adolescent and young adult development.

This bestselling work has introduced hundreds of thousands of professionals and students to motivational interviewing (MI), a proven approach to helping people overcome ambivalence that gets in the way of change. William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick explain current thinking on the process of behavior change, present the principles of MI, and provide detailed guidelines for putting it into practice. Case examples illustrate key points and demonstrate the benefits of MI in addictions treatment and other clinical contexts. The authors also discuss the process of learning MI. The volume’s final section brings together an array of leading MI practitioners to present their work in diverse settings.