Summary
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that publicly funded substance abuse treatment programs admitted nearly 1.7 million people in 2003. More than 20 percent of these admissions were for alcohol treatment, and of admissions related to illicit drug use, those involving marijuana and heroin were the most widespread. Clearly, there is a major problem with substance abuse in the United States, but often overlooked is the crisis connected to less common addictions. Shopping, gambling, plastic surgery, weight loss, and food are all objects of addictions experienced by thousands of Americans. From adolescents to senior citizens—millions of Americans are ruled by addictive behaviors that may destroy their lives as well as the lives of their families, friends, and even strangers.
The Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors is an A-to-Z reference to addictive behaviors—their signs, symptoms, and causes, as well as how to recognize and treat them. More than 300 entries provide a comprehensive overview of individual addictions as well as overlapping issues, such as emotional problems, family dysfunction, and difficulties with employment. This invaluable resource also provides theoretical and practical information on how people who are addicted to various substances or behaviors can, with hard work and assistance from others, often recover and go on to lead normal, productive lives. The value of this informative guide is increased by extensive appendixes providing further resources and up-to-date information.
Topics covered include:
- Abstinence
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Binge drinking
- Cosmetic surgery addiction
- Credit card overspending
- Drug addiction
- Drug courts
- Exercise addiction
- Food addiction
- Gambling
- Internet addiction disorder
- Rehabilitation
- Sexual addiction
- Violence.
With appendixes listing important organizations, state substance abuse offices, state controlled substances scheduling authorities, and state mental health agencies and illustrative tables of important statistics, in addition to a detailed bibliography, this is a comprehensive source on addictions and addictive behaviors.