What Is Addiction?

An interview with Dr. Stanton Peele. Produced and directed by Patrick and Andrea Bergin. Copyright First Vision Productions 2003.
See Stanton Peele's website at http://www.peele.net
Find out more about Stanton Peele's latest book at http://www.addictionproofyourchild.com

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Addiction
• 12
• Step
• Harm
• Reduction
• Disease
• Temperance
• Fundamentalism

[stantonpeele]

that problem is way in the rearview - the existing DSM-IV in force for over a decade already defines dependence in the absence of such symptoms, and will in DSM-V explicitly REMOVE the example you provide in the category of addiction they re-establish. By the way, how would your point relate to DSM-V inclusion of gambling as addictive.

[Exino]

This man is a genius.

[stantonpeele]

@Exino

Ah - to be recognized in one's time!

Thanks for the support.

Stanton

[jacebutt210]

am i the only one that didnt understand the first 13 seconds?

[LexeconKiddo]

@isegoria1 Brilliant. Not to discount Dr. Peele's words, but your comment "degrees in truthology" surely is the best summation on the supposed "authority" of those in recovery culture as well as most 12 Step Evangelists. Bravo!

[TheSinisterKitty]

@pauldemo0708

Offenders sent to court-mandated AA binge drink 9 times as much as those sent to non-12 step treatment (Brandsma, et. al.). Telling people they are powerless is what can kill.

[pauldemo0708]

again clueless... 12 steps save lives.. this guys bla bla bla stuff can kill

[beautifulmind546]

"relying on an experience to the exclusion of everything else in your life" < what I see in so many ppl involved in AA, Their addiction to alcohol is just transfered over to the cult of AA.

[Subutubiata]

I basically agree, but I think you've set up a circular definition of addiction - it relies on its own assumption to support its central premise. If you restrict addiction to 'getting lost' in a 'powerful experience' that 'degrades (ones) life,' you exclude metabolic dependency. Yet it's hard to see how someone who avoids the risk of transient ischaemia by maintaining  isn't an addict?

[Maiitreya]

Great definition for addiction. Thanks!

[evet45]

@Mrjoepizza123

You can check out the data on Science Daily, or go to pubmed.gov for studies''

To qualify my last post. yes, alcohol problems may be learned behavior for some, but addiction is is how the alcohol is metabolized by the body., especially the brain.

Reading about adoption studies may also be helpfull.

BTW, it is a life long and progressive disease, Go to some AA meetings and listen to those who battle this horror.

[evet45]

@Mrjoepizza123: while some children may be introduced to alcohol or other behaviors by their parents, not all of them are alcoholics. In fact many abstain because of the ugly behavior of their parents.

There are alcoholics from abstaining familys as well.

The chance of developing alcoholism in life is genetic, with some exception for the children introduced to the drug in utero.

Alcoholism may also skip a generation.

It is not a choice by learned behavior.