Understanding Addiction

Hello, my lovely blogites. It seems you are among the few recognizable lifeforms left on my computer — my computer whom I now love, hate, and mostly mourn. I had the most terrible “accident” — or maybe it was an act of God — the sort of biblical God who goes around punishing people for […] (Read the rest.)

Isabel and I want to share this with you. We hear a lot of former and recovering addicts describe the grim and lonely hours waiting for them on the far side of their addiction. The loneliness and bleakness are real, but that’s not the end. It’s a stage in a transformation that can be breathtaking. […] (Read the rest.)

…by Matt Robert… Consider what you believe about the causes of addiction. Now consider what you think about the importance of anonymity in recovery communities. Is there a relationship?   Yes, at least historically. In the very early days of AA, most people viewed addiction as a moral failing or a character defect. There was […] (Read the rest.)

I was overjoyed to see that Salon.com published a large excerpt from the first chapter of my book. (The headline may still be on the front page!) Until I saw the title: Addiction is Not a Disease. Good so far… Then: How AA and 12-step programs erect barriers while attempting to relieve suffering. Not so […] (Read the rest.)

Addiction.com invited Nora Volkow to pit her “disease” argument against my (and others’) “learning”  model of addiction. She declined, or at least didn’t agree, but I’m happy to announce that we have finally sort of crossed swords in the Huffington Post Blog network. Here’s her initial post and here’s my response. And I’m really pleased […] (Read the rest.)