USA. Why the Disease Definition of Addiction Does Far More Harm Than Good
USA. Why the Disease Definition of Addiction Does Far More Harm Than Good
Among other problems, it has obstructed other channels of investigation, including the social, psychological and societal roots of addiction
Over the past year and a half, Scientific American has published a number of fine articles arguing that addiction is not a disease, that drugs are not the cause of addiction, and that social and societal factors are fundamental contributors to opioid addiction in general and the overdose crisis in particular. The dominant view, that addiction is a disease resulting from drug use, is gradually being eroded by these and other incisive critiques. Yet the disease model and its corollaries still prevail in the domains of research, policy setting, knowledge dissemination and treatment delivery, more in the United States than in any other country in the developed world. You might wonder: what are we waiting for? (Scientific American, 09.02.2018)