Understanding Addiction

Last post I reviewed a study showing powerful correlations between traumatic experiences in childhood and adolescence and addictive behaviours in adulthood. Although several readers found significant holes in the research, the study maintains a fair bit of respectability, and besides, if we look at our own lives, I think we often see clear connections between […] (Read the rest.)

A while back I promised to survey the three most common models of addiction – disease, choice, and self-medication – and say something about the advantages and weaknesses of each. I got hung up on the choice model for a few posts: there’s so much there to think about. But now let’s look at self-medication […] (Read the rest.)

Let’s return to John’s driving metaphor and fit it with what we know of the brain. As per my last post, let’s look at choice as a blip, a flash of intention, that rides on the momentum of underlying habits. Skillful drivers have built up a repertoire of good habits, like alertness, sensitivity, self-monitoring, and flexibility. […] (Read the rest.)

A comment by John Becker, near the bottom of the page two posts ago, gave us this automotive metaphor — for steering through a thicket of addictive possibilities and staying on the road: “…you drive defensively, paying attention. Not too tight; not too loose. You’re not so afraid of having an accident that you’re all […] (Read the rest.)

Hi all. Here are a few updates to fill the idle hours of summertime. First, the homepage of this site has been revised, thanks to Victor (my web guy). It now includes links to a number of blogs, magazines, and other online entities that deal with addiction (mostly drugs and booze…but other stuff too) and […] (Read the rest.)