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Addiction Progression

  • A close-up portrait of an elderly man with white hair and a white beard, wearing glasses and a brown jacket over a white shirt, smiling at the camera.
    DR. S. Alex Stalcup, M.D. Medical Director at New Leaf Treatment Center

    Dr. S. Alex Stalcup is a graduate of Whittier College and a graduate of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics, and in Addiction Medicine. He is certified as a Medical Review Officer by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (A.S.A.M.). Dr. Stalcup served three years as the Medical Director of the Drug Detoxification, Treatment & Aftercare Project at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics in San Francisco. He then established a private practice in addiction medicine. Since 1996, he has served as the Medical Director of the New Leaf Treatment Center in Lafayette, California. Dr. Stalcup Curriculum Vitae.
    The two addiction models below were developed by Dr. Alex Stalcup

    A diagram illustrating the progression towards addiction, showing a sequence from 'Like' to 'Want' to 'Need' and finally 'Require', represented by an orange arrow. Below, a gradient bar indicates 'Increasing loss of control' and 'Increasing boredom when sober'.
    A diagram titled 'The Pleasure Scale' illustrates a spectrum from negative feelings like dysphoria and anhedonia to positive feelings like pleasure and euphoria. The scale includes a 'Normal Range' in the center, with various emotional states and drug types associated with different points on the scale, such as marijuana, alcohol, and nicotine.

Topics

How Addiction Takes Hold in the Brain Drugs Target the Brain's Pleasure Center Neurobiology of Drug Addiction Dr. Nora Volkow - Science of Addiction Addiction is a Disease of Freewill Dr. Kevin McCauley – Pleasure Unwoven Dr. Carlton Erickson - Science of Addiction When Addiction Runs in the Family Genes & Addiction Interactive Explore Activities
Symptoms General Signs of Drug Abuse Are You Addicted To Drugs? Addiction Progression
Friends with Addiction Talking to Kids Signs & Symptoms of Drug Use 10 Survival Tips For Loving An Addict How to Deal with a Drug Addicted Family Member Nolaxone: Everything You Need to Know Helping A Child With Addiction
What is Recovery? Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) AI-Anon / ALATEEN Narcotics Anonymous Other Self-Help Groups 12 Step Pros & Cons Stories of Hope Share Your Story
Directory Student Q&A Dr. Carlton Erickson - Science of Addiction Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Celebrity videos and more Crank by Ellen Hopkins Beautiful Boy & Clean by David Sheff Parents to Ph.D.s Saving Jake: When addiction hits home

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