Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide to Controlling Your Drug and Alcohol Use

306 Pages·2017·7.7 MB·English

by  Patt Denning

ebook
THE GUILFORD PRESS
OVER THE INFLUENCE
Also Available
For professionals
Practicing Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, Second Edition:
An Alternative Approach to Addictions
Patt Denning and Jeannie Little
Over
the Influence
The Harm Reduction
Guide to Controlling Your
Drug and Alcohol Use
SECOND EDITION
Patt Denning
Jeannie Little
THE GUILFORD PRESS
New York London
Copyright © 2017 The Guilford Press
A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc.
370 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10001
www.guilford.com
All rights reserved
The information in this volume is not intended as a substitute for consultation with
healthcare professionals. Each individual’s health concerns should be evaluated by a
qualified professional.
Except as indicated, no part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from
the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Last digit is print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data is available from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4625-2679-6 (paper) — ISBN 978-1-4625-3034-2 (hard)
Artwork by Mariana Spada at Tectonica.
As ever, to our muse, Edith Springer, who led
the first wave of harm reduction in the United States
and never stopped being on fire
To our mentors, Paul Geltner, Alan Marlatt,
and Bob Unger, whose skilled guidance
has kept us attuned to the needs of people
who drink and use drugs
And to our parents, Eileen and Frank
and Jean and Bill, who believed their daughters
could do anything at times and in places where girls
were not supposed to be groundbreakers and leaders

Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface: How Did We Get Here? xi

Introduction: Why Harm Reduction? 1
1
Welcome to Harm Reduction 7
2
Why Do People Use Drugs? 24
3
When Is Drug Use Harmful? 41
4
Why Do Some People Get into Trouble 67
While Others Don’t?
5
How Do I Know If I Am in Trouble? 87
6
How People Change 103
7
You Don’t Have to Quit to Change 118
8
Substance Use Management 140
9
Taking Care of Yourself While Still Using 168
vii
viii Contents
10
How Can I Tell If Harm Reduction Is Working? 186
11
Finding the Right Help 200
12
A Letter to Family and Friends of People 218
Who Use Drugs

What You Should Know about Drugs: 223
A Quick Reference

Resources 273

Index 282

About the Authors 290
Purchasers of this book can download and print
enlarged versions of the worksheets at
www.guilford.com/denning2-forms for personal use
or use with clients (see copyright page for details).