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books for addiction professionals

5 Great Books for Addiction Professionals

There are countless books and pieces of literature available on addiction and how it impacts the lives of those who struggle with it. Addiction professionals often look to this literature to understand better what their patients are going through and how they can best support them.

 

Here are the top 5 books Promises Behavioral Health recommends to all addiction and substance use professionals: 

Chasing the Scream

Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari embarks on a journalist’s journey to understand the war on drugs. 

One of the biggest questions this book tackles is the idea that addiction is not what we think it is. It covers stories of people whose lives drastically changed because of the war on drugs in one way or another. 

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Dr. Gabor Mate brings together case studies and first-person accounts to take a panoramic view of addiction. 

Dr. Gabor Maté talks about addiction as a case of human development gone awry. He compares his patients’ struggle with substance addictions to the behavioral addictions that many other members of society have, noting that they’re not all that different. 

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change by Stephen Rollnick and William R. Miller is all about the technique of motivational interviewing and how it can help facilitate change. 

Implementing motivational interviewing in addiction treatment can help inspire people to change their destructive behavior. When lack of motivation to quit stops people from changing, finding reasons through this technique can help them find the inspiration they need to make the necessary adjustments in addiction treatment.

Rewired

Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction and Recovery by Erica Spiegelman focuses on personal power as a way of overcoming addiction. It focuses on self-actualization, which is realizing your potential and talents. 

Instead of more typical addiction treatment approaches, Spiegelman encourages identifying fundamental principles within to help get sober not only physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This holistic approach to healing helps build a healthy support system and create a personalized addiction treatment plan.

Clean

Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy by David Sheff talks about his own son’s addiction and his experience with trying to get him help.

The book also reveals that addiction is a treatable disease instead of a moral failing. Looking at addiction in this way creates very different methods of treatment. Instead of working at it from an ethical angle or as a question of character, we can treat the disease instead. 

 

Addiction Treatment Programs at Promises Behavioral Health

Promises Behavioral Health offers the full comprehensive spectrum of addiction and mental health treatment. We recognize that traditional addiction treatment methods don’t work for everyone and offer non-12-step addiction treatment. We believe in providing a personalized approach to addiction treatment, so you can get the help you need. 

Call one of our admissions counselors today at 888-282-3609 to learn more about addiction treatment options available to you, your clients, or someone you love.

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