Popular media are powerful mirrors and makers of meaning around suicide.This book brings together scholars from across disciplines to examine how suicide is mythologized, politicized and challenged across film, TV, young adult literature, digital platforms, online communities, and more. From news coverage of celebrity suicide to social media interventions with at-risk youth, this wide-ranging collection explores suicide’s intersections with class, gender, chronic illness and cultur...

Psychoactive substance use ranks among the five top risk factors contributing to the global burden of disease. Substance use disorders can cause, mimic, underlie, or complicate a large number of medical and psychiatric conditions. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in non-substance forms of addiction such as gambling, internet gaming, and various other behavioural addictions. The ability to diagnose addictive disorders and initiate appropriate management is a responsibility f...

Drug misuse is a major challenge for health professionals in the 21st century, and community pharmacy holds a key place in the management of prescribed medication, the provision of health education and promotion messages to drug users. Two decades ago there would have been no need for a book to describe such the role of community pharmacy; however,

The British system of dealing with drug addiction is notable for its flexibility and its capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. Because of this it has attracted considerable international interest, although it is rarely fully understood or accurately represented.Presenting a comprehensive account of the development of policies and treatments, Heroin Addiction brings together the perspectives of policy makers, practitioners and social commentators. The book contribute...

Illegal psychoactive substances and illicit prescription drugs are currently used on a daily basis all over the world. Affecting public health and social welfare, illicit drug use is linked to disease, disability, and social problems. Faced with an increase in usage, national and global policymakers are turning to addiction science for guidance on how to create evidence-based drug policy. Drug Policy and the Public Good is an objective analytical basis on which to build global dru...

The British system of dealing with drug addiction is notable for its flexibility and its capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. Because of this it has attracted considerable international interest, although it is rarely fully understood or accurately represented.Presenting a comprehensive account of the development of policies and treatments, Heroin Addiction brings together the perspectives of policy makers, practitioners and social commentators. The book contribute...

This is a manifesto for an entirely new approach to psychiatric care; one that truly offers care rather than coercion, therapy rather than medication, and a return to the common sense appreciation that distress is usually an understandable reaction to life's challenges.

America had a radically different relationship with drugs a century ago. Drug prohibitions were few, and while alcohol was considered a menace, the public regularly consumed substances that are widely demonized today. Heroin was marketed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, and marijuana was available as a tincture of cannabis sold by Parke Davis and Company.Exploring how this rather benign relationship with psychoactive drugs was transformed into one of confusion and chaos, The Cult of P...

This text provides a comprehensive overview of psychological approaches to understanding addictions. Without denying the importance of biological Factors, Emphasis Is Placed More Upon Social, Psychological And Emotional factors as is necessary to a complete understanding of addiction. Within this framework, an addiction is not limited to substance-based behaviours such as drinking alcohol, smoking or drug use. Although these important areas are covered, a wider perspective is taken to incl...

Substance misuse and its pervasive problems is a constant challenge for social work, health and related professionals today. With heightened political and policy emphasis on all aspects of substance misuse, it is paramount that professionals remain up-to-date on current issues and their responsibilities. Based on research and evidence, this book provides a sound basis for grounded and innovative practice.Leading international contributors outline holistic and specialist approaches ...

Recreational drug use is a world-wide phenomenon. Despite the best efforts of governments, the public fascination with drugs shows no signs of abating. With media accounts of illegal drug use often verging on the hysterical, this book provides a refreshingly balanced and honest account of drug use throughout the world, one based on scientific fact, and not dogma. The book examines all the drugs currently used throughout the world, looking at their effects and side-effects. Why do people us...

The book features a radical perspective on psychiatry and the “mental health system” informed by an antipsychiatry perspective and anti-oppression analysis. In the Introduction, antipsychiatry is defined as active and radical resistance to psychiatry - antipsychiatry is not an intellectual or “academic exercise.” The book deconstructs psychiatry as a social control system.. As social control, psychiatry is specifically deconstructed as inherently coercive and based on force, fear and fraud...