Methamphetamine, made easily in clandestine labs from over-the-counter ingredients, can cause depression, rapid tooth decay, psychosis, sensations of flesh crawling with bugs, paranoia, skin lesions, and kidney damage. Still, use has spread nationwide. In this work, two experts on methamphetamine addiction and recovery explain why this drug has such a physical, psychological, and social draw for addicts, despite all the damage it causes. Vignettes from addicts take us inside the subculture of meth users. Authors Taylor and Covey explain why this drug and its addiction is different from other illicit drugs and why, therefore, the treatment needs to be specifically tailored in order to be effective. Stephan Jenkins, singer for the band Third Eye Blind, says methamphetamine makes you feel bright and shiny, but it also makes you pathetically and relentlessly self-destructive, so much so that you will do unconscionable things to feel bright and shiny again. This drug, made easily in clandestine labs from over-the-counter ingredients, can also cause depression, rapid tooth decay, psychosis, sensations of flesh crawling with bugs, paranoia, skin lesions, and kidney damage. Still, use has spread nationwide from California to Maine, with known addictions now highest in the West, Midwest, and South. Treatment admissions for methamphetamine addictions have increased more than fivefold in the last decade, with a federal report in 2006 showing 136,000 known cases. Meth is particularly addictive to women because it causes rapid weight loss. The results, as shown in recent cover stories in Newsweek, National Geographic, and USA Today, are pain for far more than the abuser. Meth addiction also ravages life for spouses, children, and other family members, as well as communities. In this work, two experts on methamphetamine addiction and recovery explain why this drug has such a physical, psychological, and social draw for addicts despite all the damage it causes. Vignettes from addicts let us see inside the subculture of meth users. Authors Taylor and Covey explain why this drug and its addiction is different from other illicit drugs, and therefore why the treatment needs to be specifically tailored in order to be effective. This book, focused only on the addiction avenues and paths to recovery, is a perfect companion to Covey's earlier book, The Metehamphetamine Crisis (Praeger, 2006), which details the emergence and history of this drug use in the United States, as well as the social and community effects, and criminal justice approaches, successes, and failures to date. This book at hand will appeal to meth abusers, their families, and professionals trying to aid recovery from this new scourge, including substance abuse treatment providers, health professionals, psychologists, school personnel, and criminal justice staff.

This distinctive and timely text examines the most prevalent substance and process addictions and focuses on current research and evidence-based treatment strategies. Major substance addictions discussed include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, methamphetamines, and prescription drugs. Complete chapters are also devoted to the most frequently cited process addictions, making this text unique. Behavioral addictions covered in this text include pathological gambling, sex disorders, disordered eating, work, exercise, shopping, and Internet/gaming. Each chapter contains a listing of student learning outcomes, a case study with reflective questions, techniques for assessment and diagnosis, inpatient and outpatient treatment approaches, and resources for further study. With its emphasis on treatment strategies, this text can be used by practitioners as well as by professors in the classroom in introductory courses in addictions or in subsequent courses that focus on treatment strategies. *Requests for digital versions from the ACA can be found on wiley.com. *To request print copies, please visit the ACA website here. *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to publications@counseling.org

Meth is affecting people of all ages, income levels, and backgrounds. A scourge of the heartland that spreads its noxious tentacles into every American village, town, suburb, and city, meth can and does kill. Meth-related crime costs the nation billions of dollars a year, and meth-related health care and rehabilitation costs are well above $500 million annually. Even the environment is negatively impacted by the toxic waste created by the meth production process. This book exposes the dangers of both production and consumption of meth, highlights the grotesque side-effects of meth use, explains how addiction develops, and outlines the steps to break addiction. Includes sidebars such as “10 Great Questions to Ask a Drug Counselor” and “Myths & Facts About Meth” that allow for fast, clear-cut and essential answers and solutions.

In Overcoming Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction, one of the few books to address the topic for a general audience, Dr. Steven Lee, MD, a psychiatrist who specializes in crystal meth addiction, offers a complete guide to the drug, its effects, and how to overcome it. Based on extensive scientific and social research and drawing from his professional experience, he covers everything from the definition and history of crystal meth to the physical and psychological effects; from dealing with the addictive personality to helping a friend or family member cope with it. He focuses on understanding rather than outright condemnation of the drug, and empathetically covers all of the crucial questions: What is crystal meth? How is it made? How does it affect the body? How do you know if you're addicted to it? How do you stop using it? What if you don't want to stop? If you are going to use CM anyway, how can you minimize the damage? What if you quit but slipped and used again?

Methamphetamine New Knowledge New Treatments Clinicians Manual with CE Test