I don’t know shit about the science of addiction, but I have been to rehab. Can confirm that they love to harp on about how they influenced the conception of addiction as being an “allergy” (their words). I’m still inclined to think it is a disease though. 12-step evangelists talk out of both sides of their mouths to launder their more heinous dynamics by highlighting ostensibly positive or benign dynamics (their approach to religion being the most apparent). I suspect the 12-steppers deliberately conflate the more modern conception of addiction as disease with the shit they peddle so they can keep their steel grip on the addiction recovery business in the Great Satan.
The idea of addiction as disease became widespread because of AA 12-steps. AA came with the allergy “theory”, which eventually evolved into the disease theory.
It’s not a good model though. It treats addiction as something external the sufferer has no control over.
The best most modern addiction therapies and treatments are all about strengthening the ability for self-control.
Only in the sense that everything surrounding addiction is. But addiction as disease is just the correct heuristic and is used by everyone from psychiatrists to therapists to laypeople.
Addiction is not a disease. Classifying it as such is counterproductive.
You can’t get cured of a disease by going to therapy. Addiction is primarily psychological and emotional.
You can just post shit, nobody can stop you.
Addiction as a disease is intimately linked to AA 12-steps culture btw
I don’t know shit about the science of addiction, but I have been to rehab. Can confirm that they love to harp on about how they influenced the conception of addiction as being an “allergy” (their words). I’m still inclined to think it is a disease though. 12-step evangelists talk out of both sides of their mouths to launder their more heinous dynamics by highlighting ostensibly positive or benign dynamics (their approach to religion being the most apparent). I suspect the 12-steppers deliberately conflate the more modern conception of addiction as disease with the shit they peddle so they can keep their steel grip on the addiction recovery business in the Great Satan.
The idea of addiction as disease became widespread because of AA 12-steps. AA came with the allergy “theory”, which eventually evolved into the disease theory.
It’s not a good model though. It treats addiction as something external the sufferer has no control over.
The best most modern addiction therapies and treatments are all about strengthening the ability for self-control.
Only in the sense that everything surrounding addiction is. But addiction as disease is just the correct heuristic and is used by everyone from psychiatrists to therapists to laypeople.
It definitely is not used by everyone, specially not addictions specialists. It’s a highly controversial theory that has 0 empirical proof.
You can’t get cured of addiction by going to therapy either. This isn’t a good take.