Understanding Addiction

Notice, first, that I say “resulting from” choice. Nobody choses to be addicted. But as people become increasingly hooked, they may increasingly choose to take the pill or the drink, or to gamble or purge, and that’s the thing we need to examine. What is the role of choice in the onset of an addiction? […] (Read the rest.)

I’ve generally felt critical of the “disease” label for addiction. But having read your many comments and looked up some recent literature, I can now give it its due. In my last post, I argued that models and metaphors are not intrinsically different. A metaphor is a kind of model. And I commented that the […] (Read the rest.)

Actually quite a few words. At times I seem to be in the throes of some seriously run-on sentences. I was a tad nervous. George seems like a really nice guy. Somehow he finds a way to connect with his guests and ask questions that are both challenging and friendly. That friendliness — what seemed […] (Read the rest.)

Many readers responded to my request for different perspectives and insights on the question: Is addiction a disease? I said I’d like to know what others thought before stating my own view. The strange thing is that my own view has changed considerably in light of your comments. Perspective is funny that way: it looks […] (Read the rest.)

Here’s some more “filler” while I prepare my next post. But I hope it’s worth the read. The Fix, which seems to be the most popular addiction/recovery magazine out there, published a Q&A interview about my book – how I wrote it, what I was trying to say, and how it changed my life. Walter […] (Read the rest.)