Book Review: The Affliction of Addiction

Addiction is arguably one of the largest problems we face today, and one that does not discriminate based on class, gender, or socio-economic status. In his new book, The Affliction Of Addiction: It’s Not That Complicated (Science Answers All Questions), clinical therapist Adam McArnold argues that we already have the answers we need to fight the battle against addiction – if we just look in the right places. McArnold writes that what matters most is not what caused the addiction, but what treatment professionals believe about the causes of addiction. “Logically speaking, addiction will probably always appear to be a self-induced mental disorder stemming from the willfully excessive use of a psychotropic medication,” writes McArnold. But this belief also sends addicts into a negative downward spiral where – in the midst of languishing self-esteem and confidence – they reach again for another drug. It also ignores what McArnold says is now undeniable evidence that drugs don’t just affect each person differently, but have very different effects on different brains. Some brains are predisposed to addiction. Genetic predisposition doesn’t mean that one is impaired, but that they have a biological reaction to drugs that is stronger than the normal population. And simply believing that some are more vulnerable to the effects and adaptations of drug use than others, McArnold argues, makes all the difference. “It is becoming more and more obvious that some ...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Addictions Alcoholism Book Reviews Compulsive Gambling Psychology Substance Abuse Treatment Adam McArnold Drug Addiction Neuroscience recovery Source Type: news