Alcohol, drugs, medication, or computer games - many things can lead to addiction. This book clarifies the connections between attachment and addiction. Internationally renowned researchers and clinicians present therapeutic and preventive options related to addictive disorders.

Addiction often begins with the attempt to make overwhelming stress more bearable through substances, rather than alleviating it with the help of attachment figures. Triggers can include traumatic experiences, difficult psychological developmental conditions, or unsolvable conflict situations. Usually, there is a short-term relaxation. However, if the stress persists and becomes chronic, the regular use of the substance quickly leads to psychological and physical dependence. Once the substance has become the "safe attachment figure," therapy becomes challenging. The contributions clearly show: there is a connection between attachment and addiction, as well as between substances and the ability to form attachments, with different attachment styles being susceptible to different substances, such as opioids, ecstasy, or alcohol.