In this book, renowned addiction psychiatric physician Corneliu N. Stanciu, MD provides an intimate view into the fascinating world of addiction. You will embark on a trip through the neurobiological processes occurring in addictive disorders which will completely revolutionize your understanding of the disease. You will also have the opportunity to view various treatment approaches through the eyes of an expert and walk through the management of some challenging cases. Upon completion you will be better able to understand an individual's struggle and you will be better equipped to support and help a friend, family member, or even yourself towards recovery. Addictive disorders are the number one silent killer of our generation and it is our responsibility to heighten our understanding!

Contains a supplemental science program designed to introduce students to basic concepts in neurobiology with emphasis on the physiology of substance abuse and its effect on brain function.

WINNER OF THE 2016 PROSE AWARD IN PSYCHOLOGY Through the vivid, true stories of five people who journeyed into and out of addiction, a renowned neuroscientist explains why the 'disease model' of addiction is wrong, and illuminates the path to recovery. The psychiatric establishment and rehab industry in the Western world have branded addiction a brain disease, based on evidence that brains change with drug use. But in The Biology of Desire, cognitive neuroscientist and former addict Marc Lewis makes a convincing case that addiction is not a disease, and shows why the disease model has become an obstacle to healing. Lewis reveals addiction as an unintended consequence of the brain doing what it's supposed to do — seek pleasure and relief — in a world that's not cooperating. Brains are designed to restructure themselves with normal learning and development, but this process is accelerated in addiction when highly attractive rewards are pursued repeatedly. Lewis shows why treatment based on the disease model so often fails, and how treatment can be retooled to achieve lasting recovery, given the realities of brain plasticity. Combining intimate human stories with clearly rendered scientific explanation, The Biology of Desire is enlightening and optimistic reading for anyone who has wrestled with addiction either personally or professionally. PRAISE FOR MARC LEWIS ‘[L]ooks at how addiction and brain science collide, and how understanding our brains can help addicts get out of the abyss … [A] very readable, often touching, gateway into the universe of neuroscience and the shadowland of addiction.’ The Sydney Morning Herald ‘The most important study of addiction to be published for many years.’ The Spectator