Consumer health information about alcohol abuse, addiction, and related health effects, with facts about treatment and recovery. Includes index, glossary of related terms, and other resources.

This book provides basic consumer information about the use and abuse of alcohol among people from adolescents to older adults. It is a fairly broad-based look at the psychological, physical, and social health effects of alcohol addiction. It is full of relevant information (73 chapters) for the general public. The first edition was published in 2000. Purpose: According to the editor in the preface, this book "presents comprehensive information about the use and misuse of alcohol among men, women, youth, and seniors, and it describes the effects of alcohol exposure on fetal development. The physical and emotional problems associated with alcohol dependency and alcohol's impact on family relationships, work, and society are discussed. A section on treatment describes medications and recovery programs." This volume is part of the Health Reference Series, which provides medical information for the general reader.

In the 1980's, Janet Woititz broke new ground in our understanding of what it is to be an Adult Child of an Alcoholic. In this updated edition of her bestseller she re-examines the movement and its inclusion of Adult Children from various dysfunctional family backgrounds who share the same characteristics. After decades of working with ACoAs she shares the recovery hints that she has found to work. Read Adult Children of Alcoholics to see where the journey began and for ideas on where to go from here.

Teens receive hundreds of mixed messages about things, especially about alcohol. There is a fine line between the celebration and presence of alcohol to earmark a special occasion and the danger of reliance on alcohol to experience life, whether it's up or down. The messages can be confusing and important self-preserving opinions can remain ambivalent. This book addresses the mixed message and controversies of alcohol and alcoholism. Readers will evaluate the dangers of binge drinking, and the appropriate legal drinking age. Also discussed are the existence of a genetic predisposition or a natural tolerance among alcoholics, and the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous in treating alcoholism. Essays and personal accounts provide an array of viewpoints, which allows readers to think critically about what they are learning, and how what they think fits into each debate. Stellar essay sources include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, National Institutes of Health, and the Saint Jude Retreat House.

This is the official ACA Fellowship Text that is Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization (ACA WSO) Conference Approved Literature. Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families (ACA) is an independent 12 Step and 12 Tradition anonymous program.