Addiction

Robert Ackerman, PhD

Develop an appreciation for gender differences in the treatment and recovery from alcohol and drug addiction and other problems in e-Summit's Addiction Course with Dr. Ackerman. Investigate how dysfunctional families effect gender development and, in turn, how this development effects personal change for females and males. Dr. Ackerman's approach is not to treat women and men from dysfunctional families or addicted individuals as victims, but rather as survivors who have strengths as a result of the adverse conditions they endured.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how dysfunctional families effect gender development.
2. Describe recovery challenges related to stereotypical gender identies.
3. List common gender specific issues in the treatment environment.

Terry Gorski, MA, MAC, NCAC II

Help clients unlock their own potential to stop living in denial and take ownership of their recovery! In this Addiction Course, recovery pioneer Terry Gorski illustrates how to use techniques from the Denial Management Counseling (DMC) model to talk with clients who are exhibiting strong denial and treatment resistance. By watching Terry role play with audience members, you’ll see how patient education and structured DMC exercises lead clients to reveal their own denial patterns and participate in the development of strategies to prevent denial from continuing to pervade their lives. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the dynamics of denial.
2. Describe the 'Denial Pattern Identification' process.
3. Create a treatment plan that includes psychoeducational sessions about self-management strategies.

Jack Kuo, MD

Most people know of it, but how much do you know about it? In this Addiction Course you will learn the compelling forces behind Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) and the neuroscience that is affected by excessive play. You’ll discover the psycho-social factors of play that are promoted by the gaming industry and can lead to maladaptive behaviors by users. You’ll learn the proposed criteria for defining on-line gaming dependence and learn about treatment programs available in the U.S. and around the World. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the extent to which “videogame addiction” conforms to currently accepted scientific definitions of addiction
2. Describe the epidemiology of “videogame addiction”
3. Outline existing and suggested modalities for treatment of “videogame addiction”
4. Debate the evidence-based support for inclusion of “videogame addiction” as a formal diagnosis

Dirk Eldredge, CADC

If you have ever thought that the Interventionist was therapy’s version of a paratrooper, this Addiction Course will change your mind. Assessment, team preparation, arrangement of details, and after-care follow-up are all essential phases of the intervention process that Dirk will walk you through. He has orchestrated hundreds of interventions across the nation using an intervention style that places equal attention on all family members making it a process and not an event. This course, by itself, will not prepare you to become an Interventionist. It will, however, prepare you to work effectively as part of an Intervention Team. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the Family Intervention Process.
2. Discuss the dynamics of co-occurring disorders and chemical addictions.
3. Describe how the therapist's personal relationship with addiction can contribute to the effective treatment of others.

Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S

In his typical candid and witty style, Rob Weiss, LCSW, CSAT, presents an overview of sexual addiction behaviors and root causes in his e-Summits Addiction Course by using examples straight from the latest weekly headlines. Inviting audience interaction, he gives therapists a peek at the day in the life of a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist (CSAT), and shows how to assess clients for sexual addiction who present with other mental and behavioral symptoms. This session provides an overview of the history of the diagnosis of compulsive sexuality, Internet sex and the challenges faced by spouses and couples who present with these concerns. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe differences between sex addiction to recreational sex.
2. Describe differences between a sex addict and a sex offender.
3. Describe how sex addiction fits into the broader category of process addictions.

David Sack, MD

Learn about the dynamic and surprising history of neuropharmacology, as it relates to addiction treatment in this e-Summits Addiction Course. Dr. Sack takes a closer look at combining non-pharmacology approaches with pharmacological practices in the treatment of substance abuse. This training also focuses on FDA approved treatments for alcohol dependency, opiate dependency and nicotine dependency. In addition, Dr. Sack reviews treatments currently in development for cocaine and psychostimulant dependency together with new options currently under development for pharmacological treatment of addiction disorders. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss FDA-approved treatments for alcohol and opiate dependency.
2. Summarize treatments in development for cocaine and psychostimulant dependency.
3. Compare the value of current pharmacological treatments with non-pharmacology treatments for substance dependency.

Terry Gorski, MA, MAC, NCAC II

For addicts in recovery, the symptoms related to relapse become worse with the increase of stress. Conversely, as symptoms intensify the level of stress increases. This creates a viscous cycle of painful dysfunction that often ends in relapse. High stress can have such severe adverse effects that it can interfere with the client’s ability to respond to treatment. Therefore, it is of critical importance that one of the first tasks in helping addicts to recover is to teach them how to manage stress without having to use mood or mind altering chemicals. In this Addiction Course, you will see how the Gorski-CENAPS approach to Stress Management can be used with your clients to build their stress management skills and improve their treatment outcomes. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how the Stress Thermometer® can be used as a tool for stress self-monitoring.
2. Utilize the Stress Management Flow Diagram® to teach clients how to manage stress.

Rebecca Cooper, MFT

For some people different types of sugar can be addictive. Alcoholics are most susceptible to sugar addiction because alcohol is assimilated in the body the same way as sugar. Some research findings go so far as to say "sugar is a gateway drug." In this presentation in the e-Summit's Addiction Course you will learn the research behind the phenomenon that recovering people have known for years. Sugar is addictive! This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians

Learning Objectives

1. Assess clients for food addictions
2. Explain current scientific research about sugar addiction
3. Utilize a method of internalizing healthy eating behaviors with clients

Shari Corbitt, PsyD

Neurofeedback uses sound and visual frequencies to correct areas of hyper- (over) and hypo- (under) arousal in brain activity. Over time, neurofeedback sessions help correct symptoms of attention-deficit disorder, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety, which in turn helps correct vulnerabilities for relapse. Neurofeedback can also help improve people’s attention by improving concentration and one’s ability to focus, which is critical in early recovery. When neurofeedback treatment is complemented by an active mindfulness practice, results improve dramatically. In this Addiction Course Dr. Corbitt will use case examples to show how these modalities have worked. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how neurofeedback supports the practice of mindfulness in individuals with addictions and affective disorders.
2. Describe the relationship between neurofeedback, mindfulness-based meditation and the first and third steps of the 12 step recovery model.
3. Describe how the above relationship can be used to help clients.

Dennis Ortman, PhD

Treating the Dual-Diagnosed can work in an out-patient setting. In this Addiction Course Dr. Ortman discusses the prevalence and nature of dual diagnosis complications in addictions and psychiatric disorder treatment; using the model of out-patient settings. Dr.Ortman sites specific examples of accurate assessment tools utilized in diagnosis of patients/clients. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss dual diagnosis complications in addiction treatment.
2. List two assessment tools utilized in dual diagnosis of patients.
3. Describe common characteristics of a dually diagnosed patient being treated in an outpatient setting.

Leo Booth, MTH

In this Addiction Course Rev. Leo Booth makes a careful distinction between spirituality and religion. “Spirituality is a healthy relationship between body, mind, and emotions that empowers choice, responsibility, and change. Unhealthy use of religion often separates people from themselves, others, and God. Spirituality always unites us.” In this course, Rev. Leo reveals common dysfunctional religious messages that are symptomatic of Religious Abuse. He talks about the spiritual link with “God energy” that activates our spiritual empowerment, and he shows us how attachment to toxic religious messages stops us from realizing that we are all children of God. This is an intermediate course intended for practicing clinicians.

Learning Objectives

1. List 5 examples of toxic religious messages.
2. Explain how these messages create division within the self, between self and others, and between self and God.
3. Discuss one method to help clients activate spiritual empowerment.