Substance Abuse

Series 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.