Ebook: The Addicted Brain: Why We Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine

Addiction destroys lives. In this work, the author, a neuroscientist explains how and why this happens, and presents advances in drug addiction treatment and prevention. Using brain imagery and other research, he shows the powerful, long-term brain changes that drugs can cause, revealing why it can be so difficult for addicts to escape their grip. Discover why some people are far more susceptible to addiction than others as the author illuminates striking neural similarities between drugs and other pleasures potentially capable of causing abuse or addiction, including alcohol, gambling, sex, caffeine, and even Internet overuse. He concludes by outlining the 12 characteristics most often associated with successful drug addiction treatment. Offers a scientific explanation of addiction and what addicts, their families, and society can do about it.;What's in this book, and why should I read it? -- Hardwired: what animals tell us about the human desire for drugs -- Feeling good: the brain's own reward system -- The ABCs of drug action in the brain -- The dark side develops! -- Why are drugs so powerful? -- The brain is changed, for a long time! -- Could I become an addict? -- Stress, social status, and drugs -- Gambling, sex, and food -- What else do drugs do to me? -- Women and adolescents -- Treatment: how do I get better? -- What does the future hold? -- Glossary.