Special Praise for
The Therapist’s Guide to Addiction Medicine
“Barry Solof’s The Therapist’s Guide to Addiction Medicine is a great book! Dr. Solof is a master clinician. In a few words, he says what it has taken me a lifetime to learn. This book takes complex clinical findings gleaned from the last twenty years of medical research and boils it down to the essential lessons. It brings understanding that bridges the medical and social treatment of addiction. I plan to give a copy to all my consulting therapists, physicians, and patients. For anyone who wants to understand the medical and biological basis of addiction, with its life-gripping impact on the brain and body, this is the go-to manual.”
David Pating, MD
Chief of Addiction Medicine at Kaiser Medical Center, San Francisco, Vice Chair of the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, Past President of the California Society of Addiction Medicine
“The Therapist’s Guide to Addiction Medicine is so informative and personally written, I learned and grew while I enjoyed reading. Dr. Solof has practiced addiction medicine for multiple decades and addresses the important questions before the reader can even formulate them. He clearly expresses his opinions regarding effective treatment while encouraging therapists to be flexible within their own approach with clients, allowing for whatever works for each individual. Armed with this book, therapists will be trained and able to make accurate assessments and sound clinical interventions with their addicted clientele. This book should be a standard text in any counselor training program!”
Judi Hollis, PhD
Pioneer in addiction treatment, Author of Fat Is a Family Affair, Fat & Furious, Hot & Heavy, and From Bagels to Buddha
“The Therapist’s Guide to Addiction Medicine is a thoughtful review of addiction medicine for therapists and counselors to work effectively with their clients who have addictive disorders. Dr. Solof draws on his thirty-five years of addiction medicine practice to provide therapists with information about the disease of addiction and tools to move clients toward recovery. For anyone interested in entering the field of addiction treatment as well as for experienced counselors, this is a must-read.”
Mel Pohl, MD, FASAM
Vice President of Medical Affairs and Medical Director, Las Vegas Recovery Center, Author of A Day without Pain; Pain Recovery: How to Find Balance and Reduce Suffering from Chronic Pain; and Pain Recovery for Families: How to Find Balance When Someone Else’s Chronic Pain Becomes Your Problem Too
“Dr. Solof has written a book that crystallizes the wisdom and experience of a brilliant doctor who has spent decades successfully treating the chemically addicted. He cites cutting-edge research every therapist needs to know to offer clients the best chance at a successful recovery. There is thoughtful consideration of the interaction between the biological and psychological aspects of addiction and the psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic choices for treatment. This book can be used as a textbook for students and trainees in chemical dependency programs, as well as a practical reference for clinicians.”
Rochelle Sechooler, PhD
Chair, Psychology/Human Services Drug and Alcohol
Studies Program, Los Angeles City College
The Therapist’s Guide to
Addiction Medicine
Central Recovery Press (CRP) is committed to publishing exceptional materials addressing addiction treatment, recovery, and behavioral healthcare topics, including original and quality books, audio/visual communications, and web-based new media. Through a diverse selection of titles, we seek to contribute a broad range of unique resources for professionals, recovering individuals and their families, and the general public.
For more information, visit www.centralrecoverypress.com.
© 2013 by Barry Solof
All rights reserved. Published 2013.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
Publisher: Central Recovery Press
3321 N. Buffalo Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89129
18 17 16 15 14 13 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-1-937612-44-3 (e-book)
Author photo by Michelle Diaz. Used with permission.
CASA Columbia report, Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap Between Science and Practice, used with permission.
CSAM’s Position on Medical Marijuana, adopted by the CSAM Executive Council, April 2010 and CSAM’s Summer 2010 Newsletter, used with permission. Additional information on this topic is available at www.csam-asam.org/evidenced-based-marijuana-info-0.
Publisher’s Note: This book contains general information about the disease of addiction and addiction medicine. Central Recovery Press makes no representations or warranties in relation to the information herein; it is not an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.
Our books represent the experiences and opinions of their authors only. Every effort has been made to ensure that events, institutions, and statistics presented in our books as facts are accurate and up-to-date. To protect their privacy, some of the names of people and institutions have been changed.
Cover design and interior design and layout by Sara Streifel, Think Creative Design
To David, without whose constant
love and support none of this
would have been possible.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
“I’m Not an Addict; I Can Stop Anytime I Want!”
