Addiction is such a common problem today that people experiencing alcohol, nicotine or other drug problems present in many different healthcare settings. The challenge of linking people experiencing addiction to the right response is a serious one, and much depends on understanding addiction and recognising the role that we all play in the pathway to recovery.

This course is intended to help you meet this challenge by increasing your understanding of the biology of addiction and the available treatment options in the different stages of the recovery journey.

Key questions we will look at in this course include:

• When do we call “excessive use” addiction?
• Why is it so difficult to change addictive behaviour?
• Who can play a role to get people on the track to recovery?
• How do you respond to people with mild to moderate problems?
• How can you assess and increase motivation to change?
• What sort of interventions can support a person experiencing severe addiction?
• What is my role as a professional, either within or outside of addiction care?
• How can I identify the best of the many options available?
• What are hurdles to get the right support to manage addiction around the world?

This course explores the “Recovery Pathway,” an easy-to-use framework for helping people with addiction move successfully from addiction to recovery. It helps plan a pathway through screening and assessment, to withdrawal and long-term relapse prevention. The course will examine a range of psychosocial interventions and medication-assisted treatments. You will review the biological basis of behaviour and treatment related to the stage of recovery, as well as evidence-based and service delivery considerations. This course is an ideal starting-point for healthcare professionals who want to get to grips with effective approaches to treating addiction.