Friday, September 13, 2013
The Addicted Brain: Why We Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine
The Addicted Brain: Why We Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine |
| The Addicted Brain: Why We Abuse Drugs, Alcohol, and Nicotine Posted:  By Michael Kuhar I chose this book from the Amazon Vine program for a few reasons: I am a public defender who works with addicts (and recovering addicts) on a daily basis, and I recently lost a close friend to a drug overdose. I wanted to know more about how the brain functions after substance abuse, and this book did the job. Dr. Kuhar starts the book very slowly, in a steady "Hey kids, this is what a drug is, and this is what a neuron is" style, very appropriate for a junior high health class. The complexity of the topics discussed slowly increases as Dr. Kuhar begins to bring in more sophisticated topics, like the way that different types of drugs function and the various treatment methods available to patients. There are many examples from ethical animal testing (with a good disclaimer, right from the beginning, about how and why responsible scientists use animals in experiments), and Dr. Kuhar cites a wide variety of recent medical and scientific journals, so the book really feels fresh and relevant. I was particularly struck by the developing understanding of long-term effects of drug use on the brain (a subject that is very relevant for me when it comes to crafting a request for reasonable probation conditions during a plea argument) and a surprising support for methadone (my clients tell me they are disappointed in methadone programs, which substitute a dangerous addictive substance with a less dangerous one, but Dr. Kuhar urges readers to strip the stigma from the problem by asking if anyone considers lifelong insulin injections as a failed method of treating diabetics). Dr. |
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