Dr. Peele: What is addiction? Why do we drink?

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Education

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• Stanton Peele
• addiction
• drinking
• drugs
• addiction treatments
• overdose
• alcohol abuse
• AA
• alcohol

[stantonpeele]

I say it's a natural instinct.

[Hammersley1967]

(1)

The DISEASE ideation of alcoholism has permeated every corner of western culture - including the minds of its most vocal critics such as Stanton.

On one hand, he says that there is a vacuum of evidence for, and a juggernaut of evidence against, the hypothesis that the chronic, excessive use of alcohol is an inbred disease.

I agree.

However, here he says that the practice of alcohol intoxication is an "inbred" and “fundamental” part of the human condition.

Where is the evidence for this?

[Hammersley1967]

(2)

What? Because most people do it?

THAT'S the evidence that the practice of alcohol intoxication is an "inbred" and "fundamental" part of the human condition?

That's precisely the same physio-pathological reasoning used by AA.

Like the AA metaphysics of pathologising human difference, you are now pathologising human similarity.

I have been on both sides of the alcoholism equation - addiction and abstinence.

There are only 3 factors involved in the desire for alcohol intoxication:

[Hammersley1967]

@mammalspod

"I did read once about a gene variant that causes lower D2 receptor density being linked with substance abuse in general"

Now look who's "taking some words and throwing a theory together"?

That hypothetical research is more than 20 years old...

And, like the the juggernaut of biomedical hypotheses, where did it lead us?

To another biomedical dead end. Just like Nestler's Delta Fos B gene research and all the other neurotransmitter, genetic and metabolic theories...

[Hammersley1967]

@mammalspod

Ah! Another fundamentalist worshipper of Scientism that doesn't even understand the epistemology he worships...

Give me just ONE example of reductionism and materialism explaining a human behaviour. Just one...

In fact, where is the reductionist/materialist explanation for mind, subjective perception, or even consciousness itself?

Neurology has been an academic discipline since 1553...

It hasn't even explained consciouisness and you think it can explain addiction?

[mammalspod]

@Hammersley1967 This is psychology as a social "science" reasoning. Let's take some words and throw a theory together with a heavy bias toward learned behavior and free decisions over biologically determined behavior. Then we'll "test" it and show how smart it is. Have fun in your obsolete paradigm. Science progresses one funeral at a time. In 100 years psychology as social "science" as we know it will be gone.

[mammalspod]

@Hammersley1967 I didn't say anything about individual neurotransmitters, and I think it's funny that these terms have become part of pop psychology, since the interactions are so complicated. I did read once about a gene variant that causes lower D2 receptor density being linked with substance abuse in general. Also there's some stuff out there about diurnal pattern disruption of HPA axis causing a whole spectrum of things, but this is only the beginning.

[omoibiIe]

@mammalspod

RUBBISH!!!

Check the research on that hypothesis...

TIP: Have a look at Dr Eric Nestler's research...

It's yet another biological dead end...

[Hammersley1967]

@mammalspod

Ah! The old dopamine/noradrenalin/serotoni­n/etc neurotransmitter theory...

Forwarded by Eric Nestler and others...

It works for methamphetamine and cocaine, but there's not a shred of peer-reviewed, conclusive evidence to support it with alcohol, marijuana and other process addictions...

Neat theory though...

[mammalspod]

@omoibiIe The natural instinct is not "for alcohol", but it is for the chemical reward produced by alcohol as well as other things.

[mammalspod]

The reason some get addicted to alcohol and some don't may actually be caused by the brain's reward response. If you have adequate drive/reward response, then pleasurable things in life such as eating, accomplishing things, and socializing will trigger gratification. This person will be gratified by alcohol but not to the point that they will risk more socially acceptable and healthy rewards. For reward deficient people regular life is not enough, but they still need to drink their way alcoholic

[omoibiIe]

@stantonpeele

A natural instinct?

The term "natural instinct" necessarily equates to a biologically evolved human trait. Let's leave aside the insurmountable problem of what and why natural selection pressures would be involved in the arising of this "natural instinct".

What of Australian Aboriginals and Native Americans that have never, in their racial history, ever been exposed to alcohol?

How did their "natural instinct" for alcohol intoxication arise?

?????????????????????

[AnviIOfKrom]

Yeah right.

My dad was surrounded by hard drinking ex-servicemen in his youth and had less than 20 drinks in his entire 72 years of life.

He didn't like alcohol. Perhaps he wasn't a real human being with this "inbred" desire for alcoholic intoxication?

I think he had the disease of sobriety. It also seems that it skipped a generation and my son inherited it.

RIDICULOUS!!! Most young people play sport too. Is that an "inbred" proclivity that is a "fundamental" part of the "human condition"?