Substance Abuse
Internet Sites
Please see Appendix A for full and comprehensive references. Sites relevant to Chapter 10 material are:
A large site containing the history of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), meeting sites and regional meetings, online meetings, and other resources.
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/
AL-ANON (and ALATEEN for younger members) is a worldwide organization that offers a self-help recovery program for families and friends of alcoholics, whether or not the alcoholic seeks help or even recognizes the existence of a drinking problem.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse is a nonprofit organization working to minimize the harm associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
www.nida.nih.gov/nidahome.html
National Institute on Drug Abuse Web site featuring informational links for students, young adults, parents, teachers, researchers, and health professionals.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications
This Web site, provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, supplies downloadable links to PDF files and booklets on a variety of mental health topics, including substance-related disorders.
Informational resource from the Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign on illegal substances including club drugs, hallucinogens, heroin, Rohypnol, and methamphetamines geared toward writers and feature journalists.
Mainstream Films
Films relevant to Chapter 10 material are listed and summarized below.
Key to Film Listings:
P = psychopathology focus
T = treatment focus
E = ethical issues raised
Please note that some of the films suggested may have graphic sexual or violent content due to the nature of certain subject matter.
28 DaysThis 2000 American film depicts the treatment of Gwen Cummings, a newspaper columnist played by Sandra Bullock, obliged to enter rehabilitation for alcoholism. P, comedy/drama, T
Arthur
This 1981 classic stars Dudley Moore as an alcoholic millionaire with no ambition or pretense. P, comedy
Barfly
In this 1987 film, Mickey Rourke plays Henry Chinaski, a poet and alcoholic. P, comedy/drama
Bird
Directed by Clint Eastwood, this 1988 film portrays the story of jazz great Charlie Parker, including his drug use and compulsive eating. P, serious film
The Boost
From 1989, this intense film stars James Woods as a investment broker addicted to cocaine. P, serious film
Clean and Sober
From 1988, this film stars Michael Keaton as an alcoholic executive who realizes he’s “hit bottom” and enters a drug rehabilitation center. P, T, serious film
Crazy/Beautiful
This 2001 film stars Kirsten Dunst as a troubled, rebellious rich girl who abuses drugs and alcohol and is medicated for depression. Her romance with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks helps her put her life back together. P, serious film
Days of Wine & Roses
This 1962 film stars Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick as a middle-class family dealing with alcohol dependence. P, serious film
The Doors
This 1991 film stars Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, a drug-addled rock star of the 1960s. P, serious film
Drugstore Cowboy
Starring Matt Dillon and set in the 1960s, this troubling 1989 film details the actions of a gang of drug users. P, T, serious film
The Fisher King
This 1991 film follows Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), an irreverent radio talk show host who sinks into alcoholism after a tragedy. He is rescued by a delusional, homeless man (Robin Williams) on a quest for the Holy Grail. P, serious film
Flight
This 2012 film, starring Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker, an airline pilot with a polysubstance use disorder who was investigated for being under the influence of alcohol following a crash landing of his plane after an in-flight mechanical failure. P, serious film
Lady Sings the Blues
Starring Diana Ross, this 1972 film depicts the story of Billie Holiday, a jazz singer whose career was cut short by drug addiction. P, serious biopic
Leaving Las Vegas
This 1995 film stars Nicolas Cage as a Hollywood screenwriter who has become an alcoholic. After being fired, he takes his severance pay to Las Vegas, where he plans to drink himself to death. P, serious film
Less Than Zero
This disturbing 1987 film portrays the drug use among a post-college crowd in Los Angeles. P, serious film
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
From 2004, this documentary follows the band as they record their St. Anger album and see an on-call psychiatrist to help with the growing tensions between band members. P, T, documentary
Permanent Midnight
From 1998, this fact-based film details the story of Jerry Stahl, a television writer suffering from drug addiction. P, serious film
Pollock
This film, from 2000, provides a fascinating look at the life of abstract expressionist (and substance-abuser) Jackson Pollock (1912–1956). P, serious film
Postcards from the Edge
Starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine, this 1990 film tells the story of Susanne Vale, a struggling Hollywood actress suffering from substance abuse problems. She moves from a stint in rehab to life with an alcoholic mother. P, comedy/drama
Requiem for a Dream
From 2000, this film addresses the multiple addictions of a boy, his girlfriend, his buddy, and his mother (including food and diet pills). P, serious film
The Rose
This film from 1979 stars Bette Midler as Mary Rose Foster, a character she based on the 1960s singer Janis Joplin who died of a drug overdose. P, serious film
Sid & Nancy
This 1986 film is a moving portrayal of the addicted lives and tragic deaths of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend/groupie, Nancy Spungen. P, serious film
Sideways
This Oscar-winning film from 2004 follows Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church on an alcohol-fueled tour through wine country. P, serious/comedic film
A Star Is Born
This 1954 remake stars Judy Garland as a starlet whose husband (and manager) is devastated by alcohol abuse. P, musical/serious film
Trainspotting
This haunting 1996 film details the heroin culture in a group of Scottish youth. P, serious film
Walk the Line
This Academy award–winning film from 2005 stars Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in a chronicle of the country music singer’s life. P, serious film
When a Man Loves a Woman
This 1994 film stars Meg Ryan as a woman suffering from alcoholism and Andy Garcia as her husband. P, serious film
Other Films:
Easy Rider (1969), substance-related disorders. P, commercial/serious film
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), drug use. P, comedy
I’m Dancing As Fast As I Can (1982), substance dependence. P, T, serious film
Limitless (2011), drug dependence. P, commercial film
Lost Weekend (1945), alcohol dependence. P, serious film
Love Liza (2002), depression and substance abuse. P, serious/art film
Magnolia (1999), substance-related disorders. P, serious film
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), substance dependence. P, T, serious film
Naked Lunch (1991), substance-related disorders. P, hallucinogenic-type film, cult-classic
Traffic (2000), substance-related disorders. P, T, commercial/serious film
Recommendations for Purchase or Rental
Films on Demand is a Web-based digital delivery service that has impressive psychology holdings. The catalog can be accessed at www.films.com/ecStreamingLanding.aspx . Additionally, https://www.kanopystreaming.com has an impressive array of films and videos covering diverse topics in psychology. The following videos and other media are available for purchase or rental and appropriate for use in class or for assignment outside of class.
Binge Drinking: The Right to Party?
DUI: Unlicensed to Kill
Eat, Drink, and Be Wary: Women and the Dangers of Alcohol
Films Media Group
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Phone: (800) 322-8755
Innocent Addicts
Pyramid Media
3200 Airport Ave Ste 19
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(800) 421-2304
My Friend Jenny: Portrait of an Addict
The Academic Video Store
(800) 233-9910
https://www.academicvideostore.com/
Women: Coming Out of the Shadows
Fanlight Productions
c/o Icarus Films
32 Court Street, 21st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(800) 876-1710
Theories and Biological Basis of Substance Use & Addiction (Free Title) and other related videos
https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/theories-biological-basis/id634005714
Neurobiology of Addiction (Free Title)
Hosted by Dr. Frank George, leading expert on drugs, addiction, and the brain, this multi-award winning show describes the process of addiction and the effects of drugs on the brain.
