Why Addiction is Not a Disease: Into the Debate
Lecture 4
Why Addiction is Not a Disease!
One of the main proponents
Stanton Peele
http://www.peele.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BLCVTU6J4A&feature=related
When Behavior is a Disease: Around the Water Cooler
The disease is marked by loss of control of an involvement or behavior
The sufferer cannot recognize the disease in the absence of education by
disease sufferers, especially other sufferers
Disease exists in of itself and cannot be traced back to childhood rearing
practices or other environmental causes
Disease progresses inexorably no matter what effort or life choice is
made unless they receive treatment aimed at containing or eliminating
the behavior that defines the disease
Disease is a permanent trait must accommodate it the rest of their lives
Because of the inherent tendency for the sufferers and society to deny
presence of disease, it is remarkably prevalent, yet frequently
undetected, calling for more aggressive identification and treatment of
sufferers
Main Messages
A host of addictions may be understood as disease, but they are not
diseases
“Addiction is an experience people can get caught up in but that still
expresses their values, skills at living, and personal resolve – or lack of
it”.
Upon stopping use – peoples’ problems don’t disappear
Addiction has become a marketplace
Sit with this…
We will never, ever treat away drug abuse, alcoholism, and the host of
other behaviors that are now called addictive behaviors…
Main Messages (cont.)
No biological urge to form addictions that will one day be found under
the microscope
We are creating more addictions ever year / generation (who we often
tell will never get better)
CHILD OF A PERSON WITH A DISEASE OF ALCOHOLISM
Mix up moral responsibility with disease diagnosis
Peele’s idea of treatment / helping
Nurturing communities can protect and support the individual and
family reduce an entire range of illness
Here people learn that can control their destinies = Self Efficacy
But we have not capitalized on self-efficacy, connection, support, and
education instead we find it easier to…
The Disease Timeline
First Generation Diseases: AIDS
Second Generation Diseases:
Mental Disorders
Third Generation: Addictions
Convincing Ourselves the Impossible
Mental problems as “diseases” broadly accepted by 1950’s
Mentally people are sick like those suffering from sore
throats…Medical science knows neither specific causes…nor specific
ways of preventing them (World Book Encyclopedia, 1961)
Are we closer today?
Szasz, Foucault, Bateson, Laing
Szasz, Foucault, Bateson, Laing: Explanations / Answers
Family and the double bind
Community
Deep Understanding / Safety and Support
Spiritual Journey
Accountability
Taking responsibility
Today for good and bad, greater public seduced by enthusiasm in
neurosciences.
No doubt great increased understanding of brain, which has helped
reduce suffering from 1st generation diseases…
But why then have 1st and 2nd generation disease rates climbed?
Why so many pills?
Why are a great deal of “so called” addicts now dually diagnosed?
It is obvious that medical and pharmaceutical breakthroughs for firstgeneration diseases have not been forthcoming in dealing with our
second and more noticeably 3rd generation diseases.
Medical community has itself contributed to increase in
addiction?
AA Becomes Institutionalized
Private fellowship now co-opted into mainstream medicine and
psychotherapy (1970s)
Linchpin for services (widespread in U.S. and Canada)
We become convinced (lay public) millions of people are in need of
services (just not acknowledging)
Thus AA moved away from an anonymous program; one where law,
medicine and the like now coerce people into a one size fits all approach.
An approach that suggests once and alcoholic always an alcoholic
Diseasing of America
AA/Medical view is popular and is being applied to every-kind of
behavioral problem
Gambling
Overeaters
Compulsive shoppers
Relationships addicts, love addicts, and sex addicts
Suffers from agoraphobia to severe anxiety to eating paint chips
ADCOA
Depression
PMS
Video Game Addicts
Can We Escape Being Diseased?
Worse yet, disease according to its own tenets - is biological in nature,
and yet sufferer(s) are told they are incurable!
Conclusions: Peele’s Final Stand
Disease conceptions are bad science
Biology is not behavior
People’s belief that they have a disease makes it less likely that they will
outgrow the problem
We also most guaranteeing relapse
Lastly, the pseudo-medical and treatments of new diseases increasingly
determine our feelings, our self-concepts, and our world views –
defining our culture and who we are.
Draw Backs: Unpeeling Peele
Let’s Chat!