2 thoughts on “Why Addiction is NOT a Brain Disease”
Interesting, although I still think addiction does impact the brain in the long-term and the short-term. I’d also query the statistics about the 50% + recovery rate without any help at all?
I personally don’t describe my own addiction as a physical disease but I see it as a psychological illness. Am still not convinced that addiction is just ‘an extreme form of learning’. That doesn’t sum up the agonies addicts and their families go through!
Thanks for posting!
It’s an interesting take, which I hear on a regular basis Carolyn, and I do agree with you that there most certainly is an effect on the brain. The symptoms certainly are physical, good or bad, the reasons for our behaviour still appears to remain a mystery. One fact that stands out for me is that all of my clients have a close family member who is either alcoholic or a misuser. So deeply learnt has merit too. Yes, but any statistics on this are a bit nebulous. Our recovery rate at the clinic is provable, the more anonymous methods are unknown, so I think that could be argued for sure.
Interesting, although I still think addiction does impact the brain in the long-term and the short-term. I’d also query the statistics about the 50% + recovery rate without any help at all?
I personally don’t describe my own addiction as a physical disease but I see it as a psychological illness. Am still not convinced that addiction is just ‘an extreme form of learning’. That doesn’t sum up the agonies addicts and their families go through!
Thanks for posting!
It’s an interesting take, which I hear on a regular basis Carolyn, and I do agree with you that there most certainly is an effect on the brain. The symptoms certainly are physical, good or bad, the reasons for our behaviour still appears to remain a mystery. One fact that stands out for me is that all of my clients have a close family member who is either alcoholic or a misuser. So deeply learnt has merit too. Yes, but any statistics on this are a bit nebulous. Our recovery rate at the clinic is provable, the more anonymous methods are unknown, so I think that could be argued for sure.