The past twenty-five years have witnessed a revolution in the science of addiction, yet we still rely upon sorely outdated methods of treatment. Expensive new programs for managing addiction are also flourishing, but since they are not based in science, they offer little benefit to people who cannot afford to lose money or faith in their recovery. Clarifying the cutting-edge science of addiction for practitioners and general readers, The Thirteenth Step pairs stories of real patients with explanations of key concepts relating to their illness. A police chief who disappears on the job illustrates the process through which a drug can trigger the brain circuits mediating relapse. One person's effort to find a burrito shack in a foreign city illuminates the reward prediction error signaled by the brain chemical dopamine. With these examples and more, this volume paints a vivid, relatable portrait of drug seeking, escalation, and other aspects of addiction and suggests science-based treatments that promise to improve troubling relapse rates. Merging science and human experience, The Thirteenth Step offers compassionate, valuable answers to anyone who hopes for a better handle on a pernicious and confounding disease. Reviews: "Heilig makes the science accessible to both lay and professional audiences alike by using a strong, conversational tone interspersed with humor and illustrative vignettes. He draws the reader in and effectively consolidates complex concepts.I applaud his efforts to bring the plight of the addicted to the attention of others and for calling upon the field to do its very best to help." — Valerie J. Slaymaker, University of Pennsylvania "It was a great pleasure to read this book. It is written in everyday language, and is still crammed with accurate scientific information. People who suffer from alcoholism and their suffering families rarely hear any scientific information on the disease, much less all of it gathered into a single book. As the book points out, gently, most patients today receive the same type of treatment that has been given out for decades. Without being openly critical of the usual talk therapy, the author describes the newest treatments that should be offered to every patient. He shows that treatments today can be based on recent scientific knowledge about what is happening in the brains of alcoholics. Markus Heilig describes new treatments that are based on current knowledge about the disease. This is a book that will be extremely helpful to family members of patients suffering from this dreadful disease. Families want to be informed to insure that their loved one is receiving the best care based on the best scientific evidence. Markus Heilig, a world-class expert, has done a tremendous service for patients and their families by writing this book. " — Charles P. O'Brien, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania "Heilig sums up what he has learned during his 20 years as a physician and researcher in the treatment of alcohol and other addictive disorders.... An informative and compassionate chronicle." — Kirkus Reviews "Poignantly written, very human, and personal -- and yet presents the current science of addiction in the most clear and engaging way. Dr. Heilig's journey into addiction science is beautifully written and a must-read for everyone who wants to understand why addictive behaviors and bad habits are difficult to give up, and how to do it! Dr. Heilig has masterfully woven his own clinical experiences with a concise presentation of the science of addiction. It brings to life the countless devastating effects of addiction that affect individuals across all strata of society; it attacks the stigma of addiction and shows the importance of neuroscience in understanding and treating it." — Rajita Sinha, Chief, Psychology Section, Yale Medical School About the Author: Markus Heilig is a physician scientist and one of the most highly cited addiction researchers of his generation. For the past decade, he has led one of the largest research programs on addictive disorders in the world at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health. He is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and is an editor of leading scientific journals in the field.
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