Only the very rare among us are completely unscathed by the effects of addiction - our own, that of a family member, friend, or coworker. Even the addictions of strangers - from the drunk driver or drug addict, to gambling, food, spending, or violence-addicted people - may subject us to dangers, threaten our well-being, and drain money from our pockets. Recent national estimates in just the US show that substance abuse and addiction alone cost taxpayers a total of nearly $500 billion a year. In these volumes, experts from around the world present the newest issues, research, and insights into addictions of all kinds. Led by Angela Browne-Miller, Director of the Metaxis Compulsive and Habitual Behaviors Institute in California, this team of contributors includes scholars and practitioners from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Thailand, Africa, and Russia. Topics range from drug addiction among male, female, teen, and aging populations, and among White, Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native American, and other groups, using liquor, cocaine, methamphetamine, khat, and/or other lesser known drugs, to behavioral addictions including online gaming, excessive buying, and eating disorders. Chapters also address issues including addiction as a public health problem and the politics of drug treatment policies. Treatment methods for addictions, from electrotherapy to holistic approaches are addressed, as are spiritual, psychological, and cross-cultural issues involved. The experts behind these chapters include those from the University of California, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Purdue University, to McGill University, Nottingham Trent University, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The Behavioral Addictions provides a pragmatic and engaging guide to help clinicians understand and contextualize conditions that may not be clearly delineated in the DSM-5 diagnostic system. Although not accorded a specific classification, the behaviors addressed in this book share the accepted hallmarks of addiction—continued engagement in an action despite negative consequences and loss of control over one’s own life. The editors begin with an overview of the behavioral addictions from neurobiological, theoretical, clinical, and forensic perspectives and then present 12 case studies focused on a variety of behaviors, from exercising to Internet gaming and from kleptomania to tanning. These real-life case studies are both fascinating and instructive, and along with accompanying videos, they help trainees and practicing clinicians alike to digest current research and gain “hands-on” experience with the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. In the realm of behavioral addictions, there is much work to be done: figuring out reliable diagnostic criteria, building useful assessment tools, and developing effective psychosocial and pharmacological treatments, to name a few critical tasks. The Behavioral Addictions is an indispensable, case-based resource to guide clinicians in this rapidly changing field.

Written by leaders in the addictions field, 100 authors from six countries, this handbook is a thoroughly comprehensive resource. Philosophical and legal issues are addressed, while conceptual underpinnings are provided through explanations of appetitive motivation, incentive sensitization, reward deficiency, and behavioral economics theories. Major clinical and research methods are clearly mapped out (e.g. MRI, behavioral economics, interview assessments, and qualitative approaches), outlining their strengths and weaknesses, giving the reader the tools needed to guide their research and practice aims. The etiology of addiction at various levels of analysis is discussed, including neurobiology, cognition, groups, culture, and environment, which simultaneously lays out the foundations and high-level discourse to serve both novice and expert researchers and clinicians. Importantly, the volume explores the prevention and treatment of such addictions as alcohol, tobacco, novel drugs, food, gambling, sex, work, shopping, the internet, and several seldom-investigated behaviors (e.g. love, tanning, or exercise).