MASTERING THE ADDICTED BRAIN
“This little book defies its size. Full of neuroscience facts and commonsense homilies, explained in easy-to-understand metaphors, it packs a punch. I recommend it for anyone struggling to overcome addiction.” — ANNA LEMBKE, MD
Author of Drug Dealer, MD: How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop
Straight talk about addiction and recovery from an internationally renowned neuroscientist, addiction specialist, and psychiatrist
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Advocates a holistic approach to addiction, with a focus on the mind-body connection
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Identifies the emotional and physical factors that cause relapse
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As most drug and alcohol addicts eventually realize, good intentions aren’t enough to break destructive habits. In Mastering the Addicted Brain, Walter Ling, MD, shows that addiction can be managed once its true nature is understood.
Without finger-wagging, Ling guides addicts and loved ones through the path to recovery, offering encouragement and tips to avoid potential triggers for relapse. He begins with a nontechnical description of the brain chemistry of addiction, explaining why ingrained habits are so hard to kick. From there, he moves into a broader discussion of behaviors that lead to lasting change, illustrating his belief that recovery is not a one-time event but a way of life. To prevent relapse, former addicts must adopt new routines, new interests, new friends, and a new outlook. Above all, self-knowledge is the key to recovery.
As Ling puts it, his program is simply the “neuroscience of common sense.”
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Walter Ling, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and the founding director of the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP) at the University of California, Los Angeles. With board certifications in neurology and psychiatry, Ling has conducted clinical trials of psychiatric medications, acted as a consult- ant to the World Health Organization, and run a private practice listed in the “Best Doctors in America."