ABSTRACT
Many therapeutic interventions have been developed to help people with addictions. These include a range of therapies based upon psychological principles, as well as detoxification, drug treatments, rehabilitation, twelve-step programmes (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous) and therapeutic communities. Because this book is about the psychology of addiction, psychological interventions will be most fully described in this chapter, however, other approaches commonly used in practice will also be mentioned, albeit briefly. In looking at the application of cognitive-behavioural interventions with addictive behaviours, it has been noted in a recent review that there is a ‘disappointing lack of attention being paid to drug classes other than alcohol’ (Mattick and Heather, 1993, p. 424). Evidence for the effectiveness of these interventions with both alcohol and drug users is presented where possible, however, in some cases evaluated interventions with drinkers may be the only evidence available.
