Description
Book SynopsisSeries Editors: Moira Stewart, Judith Belle Brown and Thomas R Freeman
Primary care clinicians are often unfamiliar with new and effective methods for detecting substance abuse problems in their earliest stages, and the majority of patients with substance abuse problems remain undiagnosed. Substance Abuse is written by primary care clinicians and focused to meet the needs of primary care providers, demonstrating how the patient-centered clinical method can assist clinicians in learning how to diagnose this complex psychosocial disorder. This book describes how to use state-of-the-art screening techniques, and how to understand and motivate patients to decrease or eliminate harmful use of alcohol and drugs. It presents the latest scientific findings and gives examples of using a patient-centered approach, as well as describing specific communication skills, with samples of dialogue illustrating their use in helping substance-abusing patients. This is essential reading for all family doctors, paediatricians, gynaecologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists and all clinicians whose practices include substance abusing patients. It will also appeal to counsellors, education personnel and all professionals working with substance abusing individuals.
Table of ContentsMagnitude of the problem: painting the mosiac of substance abuse in a multi-ethnic society. Alcholoism: pathophysiology of a disease. 'Sinking in a pool of wine': substance abuse and literature. Understanding the whole person: developmental issues in the patient-centered approach to substance abuse. Impact of substance abuse on the family and work. Health promotion and prevention of substance abuse. Substance use disorders and the patient-clinician relationship. Reaching common ground with patients having drug/alcohol problems: defining problems and planning treatment.
