Drug & Alcohol Abuse

Beauty Queen

When we first meet 19-year-old Samantha, she sounds like a normal teenager, writing in her diary about an ex-boyfriend: "I will never fall in love again, never, ever! Why is life so cruel? Why do people like to hurt each other?" But a mere three months later--after moving into her own apartment, taking a job as a topless dancer, and becoming addicted to heroin--her tone takes on that of a grizzled drug abuser: "I've been shooting in my bony hip area... toward my groin, so no one can detect the needle points on my rear when I wear my G-string, and I'm getting terribly numb there." Samantha's story is told entirely in the form of her journal entries, which vividly reflect this young woman's rapid descent into the seedy world of addiction.

Author Linda Glovach creates a likable, believable character in Samantha: we recognize her humanity as a girl genuinely troubled by her mother's alcoholism (as well as by her mom's lascivious boyfriend); we feel the unconditional love she harbors for her diabetic Maine coon cat; we shake our heads as her greed for money and flippant attitude about her addiction cause Sam to make naive decisions. As Sam spirals further downward--still unaware of how far gone she really is, even though she can't complete a journal entry without shooting up--readers will feel the remorse of what could have been, and may learn a valuable lesson in the process. (Ages 13 and older) --Brangien Davis

I felt the prick of the needle, but only for a second, because this great rush of warmth quickly followed, encompassing my whole body from my toes right up to the top hair on my head. I couldn't move for a minute as she guided the needle in and out of my vein. When she was done, I felt like I had entered heaven. I looked in the mirror and felt beautiful and confident. I felt this great peace, at last, a warmth, and I knew that everything was going to be okay--and really always had been. Like time had stopped and I was floating on a cloud.

"Writing the book, I saw my old dope dealer and bought $1,500 worth of pure heroin--Brown Gold--and started shooting up ten times a day to get the feel of the book. Well, I did, all right. I ended up in Glen Cove General, almost dead. In truth, you make a deal with the Devil. He takes away your pain, but he owns you. You live for the next fix. After a while, it's totally physical; your body has to have it. But I'm off it for good."
-- Linda Glovach

Young Adults' Choices for 2000 (IRA)

Go Ask Alice

The torture and hell of adolescence has rarely been captured as clearly as it is in this classic diary by an anonymous, addicted teen. Lonely, awkward, and under extreme pressure from her "perfect" parents, "Anonymous" swings madly between optimism and despair. When one of her new friends spikes her drink with LSD, this diarist begins a frightening journey into darkness. The drugs take the edge off her loneliness and self-hate, but they also turn her life into a nightmare of exalting highs and excruciating lows. Although there is still some question as to whether this diary is real or fictional, there is no question that it has made a profound impact on millions of readers during the more than 25 years it has been in print. Despite a few dated references to hippies and some expired slang, Go Ask Alice still offers a jolting chronicle of a teenager's life spinning out of control.

Alice

COULD BE ANYONE.

Alice

COULD BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW.

Alice

USES DRUGS.

With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time. This powerful real-life diary of a teenager's struggle with the seductive -- often fatal -- world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Tough and uncompromising, honest and disturbing -- and even more poignant today -- Go Ask Alice is page-turning and provocative reading.

Alice COULD BE ANYONE. Alice COULD BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW. Alice USES DRUGS. With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time. This powerful real-life diary of a teenager's struggle with the seductive -- often fatal -- world of drugs and addiction tells the truth about drugs in strong and authentic voice. Tough and uncompromising, honest and disturbing -- and even more poignant today -- Go Ask Alice is page-turning and provocative reading.

The Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Patient Workbook

"The addiction field has long needed a comprehensive set of exercises counselors could use to guide patients through good treatment. The workbooks developed by Dr. Perkinson take the patient from the beginning of treatment to the end. They are written in such a manner that Dr. Perkinson is your mentor and is conversing with you, sharing with you his vast area of expertise and knowledge about recovery. These patient exercises meet the highest standards demanded by accrediting bodies."
--Dr. Bob Carr, Director Substance Abuse Program and Mental Health Services, Sioux Falls V.A. Regional Medical Center, South Dakota

"I have been working with compulsive gamblers and their family members for 12 years and find this work extremely rewarding and challenging. I have been utilizing Dr. Perkinson's workbooks for 10 years and have found them to be some of the most useful tools in helping addicts and gamblers identify the many ways that addiction has impacted their lives. Our clients benefit from the straightforward approach of the workbooks and the clear instructions of how to begin incorporating a 12-step recovery program into their lives. I highly recommend Dr Perkinson's workbooks."
--Lisa Vig, Licensed Addiction Counselor and Nationally Certified Gambling Counselor. Gamblers Choice, Fargo, North Dakota

"I have been in the chemical dependency field for over 28 years. I have worked as a counselor, clinical supervisor and executive director in a number of treatment centers. These are the best exercises for alcoholics, drug addicts and problem gamblers that I have ever seen. I have used them for years and patients find them easy to understand. The material covers everything an addict needs to know to enter a stable recovery. I highly recommend these patient handbooks. Patients love them and they make the counselor's job easy. The book makes the job easy as all you will need to help your patient is in one place."
--Bob Bogue, CCSII, CCDC III, Clinical Supervisor

"Dr. Perkinson does and excellent job of bringing together and individualizing 12 step treatment for addicts and gamblers including identifying character defects and relapse prevention. Comments from patients include, 'it has opened my eyes to my gambling and behaviors associated with it' and 'I feel it is easy to work and very self explanatory.'"
--Ron Scherr, CCDC II, Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor, Avera St. Lukes, Worthmore Treatment Center

Chasing the High: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse (Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands' Adolescent Mental Health Initiative)

Kyle Keegan was like many teenagers: eager to fit in at school, he experimented with alcohol and drugs. Soon, his abuse of these substances surpassed experimentation and became a ruthless addiction to heroin that nearly destroyed his life.
Now in recovery, Keegan tells his remarkable story in Chasing the High. Starting with the early days of alcohol and drug use, Keegan charts his decline into crime and homelessness as his need for heroin surpassed all thoughts of family and friends, of right and wrong. He then goes on to use these experiences to offer guidance and practical advice to other young people who may be struggling with substance abuse. In straightforward, easy-to-understand language and along with the psychiatric expertise of Howard Moss, MD, Keegan discusses what is known about the neurobiology of addiction in young people, how to seek treatment, and how to get the most out of professional help. He also covers such topics as therapies which are used to combat addiction, how to talk to families and friends about substance abuse, and how to navigate risky situations. Both an absorbing memoir and a useful resource for young people.
Part of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series of books written specifically for teens and young adults, Chasing the High offers hope to young people who are struggling with substance abuse, helping them to overcome its challenges and to go on to lead healthy, productive lives.

When a Family is in Trouble: Children Can Cope with Grief from Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Provides basic information about drug and alcohol addictions and encourages healthy coping skills.

The Dirt on Drugs: A Dateable Book (Dirt Series)

Drugs. It's a serious problem. And teens have serious questions. Why do people get involved with drugs? What should someone do if they already are? How do they ask for help? The Dirt on Drugs offers more than a "just say no" approach. It urges teens to resist the temptation not just because they should, but because their life will be much happier and healthier if they do. With an in-your-face message and hard-hitting facts, Justin Lookadoo shows teens the ugly side of one of life's toughest temptations.

Failures in Group Work: How We Can Learn from Our Mistakes

“I view this book as essential in an advanced group work course and for all experienced group counselors who want to continue to develop their skills. The case examples are great. They are detailed and well written.” — Janice L. DeLucia-Waack, State University of New York “This engaging text presents a clear view of the developing direction in group work. The text reads easily and clearly identifies elements that can be incorporated into advanced group training courses and into supervision with practitioners who have been in the field and are seeking further skill development. I would recommend the text highly for experienced group workers, or for advanced classes in group work.” —Michael Hutchins, Ph.D., Private Practice “The manuscript is well planned. It follows a natural developmental sequence. Performance is in the chapters that present the critical incidents. The case examples are developed well and sound real. Processing occurs in each of these chapters and again in Chapter 10. The emphasis placed on Process is clearly a most significant point. Without question, knowledge and understanding of process and processing cannot be overvalued. Not all training programs can adequately address all the four forms of group work. The way each is presented here --especially the case/anecdotal format offers a means for exposing students to each of the area of group work and encourages the reader to investigate and learn more about them. The author’s writing style is lively and makes the text readable. Using the Failures approach is somewhat like adopting an eastern philosophical point of view of a paradoxical position. They are only truly failures if we do not learn from them! This felt so affirming to read since I have tried to instill a similar belief in students…There are no failures…only better ways the next time. At the end of each of the case study chapters area very fine way of stimulating thought, encouraging review and further investigation, including generating class discussion.” —Jeremiah Donigian, State University of New York “The freshness of the book is the focus on failure, which is a different approach than most books that focus on success.” —Steven R. Rose, Louisiana State University “The manuscript is well organized with beginning chapters using conceptual organizers to prepare the reader for the chapters which follow. The writer’s consistent use of planning, performing, and processing throughout the book is very helpful….The writer’s approach is unique and interesting as a way for readers to learn about group work.” —Beverly Brown, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University In Failures in Group Work, author Robert K. Conyne presents a model for effective group leadership and suggests that significant failures, when handled effectively, can be understood in terms of this model. This volume provides detailed descriptions of actual failure events in group leadership. Conyne includes two cases for each of the major types of group work such as task groups, psychoeducational groups, counseling groups, and psychotherapy groups. There is no other group work book like this one that approaches succeeding as a group leader by examining what is not working and moving from there. Richly written, personal case studies are used to examine the inner workings and common mistakes of task group leaders, counseling group leaders, and psychotherapy group leaders. The author takes the reader into the world of practical experience from which powerful learning lessons are cultivated, drawn from his decades of experience. Failures in Group Work can be used as a core textbook for courses in group counseling, group therapy, group process, social work with groups, and other group-oriented courses.

Always

Children everywhere will be comforted by this universal tale, in which a young boy is assured that his mother loves him — no matter what he does.

"Do you love me when I finger-paint with toothpaste on the bathroom mirror?"

As he goes through a day, a child asks his mother for reassurance with a series of questions. Does she love him when he's gentle? Does she love him when he's not? Does she love him when he jumps in puddles wearing his new sneakers? Simple, charming, and disarming, Ann Stott's story will resonate with little listeners and adults alike. Matt Phelan's funny, poignant drawings capture the child's behavior, both good and bad, and the mother's unconditional love.

Chemical Dependency Counseling: A Practical Guide

Chemical Dependency Counseling, Second Edition, one of the best-selling treatment manuals for chemical dependency, combines the traditional twelve-step program with cognitive behavioral theory and motivational enhancement. New to the Second Edition is expanded coverage of psychopharmacologic treatment of mental disorders, intervention of family members, and prevention of adolescent substance abuse in conjunction with new information on gambling addiction and patient motivation. Using the American Society of Addiction Medicine chemical dependency treatment model—the model used by the leading chemical addiction centers in the world—the author provides a step-by-step guide complete with informational handouts, patient schedules, and assessment plans for patient-types.

Chapters cover the gamut of treatment issues, including therapeutic alliance, screening, detoxification, biopsychosocial assessment, dual diagnosis, patient orientation, treatment planning, individual therapy, group therapy, case management, crisis intervention, referral, record keeping, and discharge planning. Mental health professionals employed in and students training to work in substance abuse treatment programs will find that this guidebook covers all phases of long-terms treatment and patient care, thereby meeting the highest standards demanded by accrediting bodies.

For Teenagers Living With a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs

For Teenagers Living With a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs by Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer answers questions about alcoholism asked by teenagers. Included are: What causes alcoholism? Where can I get help? What do I do about the abuse? Should I stay at home? Where can I go? How can anyone expect me to concentrate in school? Why do I fight with my parents even when they are sober?