ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses in details the fundamentals of addiction and its treatment strategies. It also discusses co-occurring disorders (COD)—the second component of the ACQS model—and their treatment guidelines. The book examines quality of life as it presents in material poverty and spiritual poverty, and discusses their relationship to the occurrence of addiction. It also examines socioeconomic factors such as housing and employment. The book focuses on the social factors of the ACQS model. It explains how policies, programs, and their implementation may impact, positively or adversely, the well-being of addicted individuals and their chances for subsequent recovery. The book reviews four pertinent phenomena to show how societal factors may influence the occurrence of addiction and how strategies can be shaped to control the problems accordingly.
