Addiction in Society

Addiction--the thematic malady for our society--entails every type of psychological and societal problem.

Stanton Peele, Ph.D., J.D., has been researching and treating addiction since he wrote Love and Addiction (1975). He also wrote 7 Tools to Beat Addiction. See full bio

January 5, 2009, Addiction

Comments on "Addiction Myth #2 -- alcoholics are addiction experts"

Addiction Myth #2 -- alcoholics are addiction experts

By Stanton Peele on January 5, 2009 in Addiction in Society

Addiction differs from such DSM-IV disorders as, say, schizophrenia, in that having the condition qualifies a person as an expert. What alcohol does to me is reality, and so I know all about alcoholism. Susan Cheever, who added her 1999 book, Note Found in a Bottle, to the massive first-person literature on alcoholism, is considered an alcoholism expert, for example, by the Times' Proof blog. In truth, Ms. Cheevers' condition actually expresses her, and our cultural, confusion about alcoholism. Read More

I couldn't agree more with

Submitted by SAG on January 17, 2009 - 6:30pm.

I couldn't agree more with you assessment about alcholism. I'm so sick and tired of people saying that being an alcholic is "genetic". I'm no therapist, but from looking at my own family, I believe all forms of addiction are a choice. For example, my own father does not drink alcohol, not even a wine cooler. Yet three of his siblings had drinking problems in which two died of alcohol related deaths. One seven years ago and another one from falling down the stairs, back in the 60's.

Looking at my father, who by the way is a responsible man in raising my brother and me, genetics has nothing to do with. When not wanting to deal with life trials and tribulations, it becomes easy to drown ones sorrows in booze, rather than face reality.

Since our culture encourages drunkenness as such, no wonder we have so many problems with alcoholism!! Keep up the good work Dr. Peele.