ISBN-13: 9781484196182 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 268 str.
The chemical and behavioral dependencies are shown with a model based on alcohol consumption to have a common origin and progression. Their shared etiology applies to 'uppers and downers, ' revealed three invariant developmental stages, and holds for hitherto seemingly unrelated conditions. Control over dependent use is demonstrated throughout dependency careers in numerous circumstances and by reliable access to a broad range of benefits. Narrowly generalized dependencies promote personal development and social cohesion whereas wide generalization disrupts maturation and is destructive of communities. Knowledge of the arousal model enhances self-regulation of intake, minimizes misuse, and lowers individual and societal costs. The first six chapters identify the factors that decrease or increase vulnerability to a dependency. Chapters seven through 11 detail the course of dependence on alcohol. Chapters 12, 13, and 14 extend the model other chemicals, to behaviors, and to related conditions. The remaining three chapters (15, 16, and 17) describe the broad range of influences that support independence, discuss some implications of the book to society, and summarize the main points of this work for quick review. (The concepts of 'being in recovery' and of 'mental health' are inconsistent with this thesis.) Dependency choices examined with the arousal model include chemicals (alcohol, marijuana, opiates, sedatives, and stimulants), behaviors (gambling, institutions, overeating, sexual orgasm, and work), and they were extended to aggression, anorexia, bulimia, and depression. The dependencies were implicated as the causal mechanism in autism, obsessive compulsions, postpartum depression, and the post-traumatic stress disorder. This analysis of the dependencies marks the first integration of its various expressions. This book is intended for dependent persons and their families, for their close friends, for those who counsel them (physicians, psychologists, social workers, and others), and for those who work in this area (educators, lawyers, police, and scientists). Access to this work is eased by its step-by-step development and minimal use of technical terms, and by examples drawn from everyday life.