Episode 150: The Disease Model of Addiction
We hear it everywhere-addiction is a disease. It’s the foundation of rehab, recovery culture, and even how people talk about themselves. But what if that idea isn’t as settled as it sounds?
In this episode, we take a look at The Addictaholic Deconstructed by Doctor Nicole Labor and her persuasive case for the disease model. There’s real truth in it; brain changes, genetics, the feeling of compulsion; but we dig into where the argument starts to stretch. Does neuroscience actually prove addiction is a disease, or does it just show that behavior and learning leave a mark on the brain?
We also get into the uncomfortable stuff most people don’t question: why the model seems impossible to disprove, why so many people recover without treatment, and why addiction, if it’s a biological disease, is so often “treated” with prayer and surrender in 12-step programs.
There’s a different way of looking at it: addiction as a learned, reinforced coping strategy that works… until it doesn’t. And what that shift means for how people recover, especially those who don’t fit the classic “rock bottom” story.
If you’ve ever felt like the disease label helped you… or held you back… this one’s for you.
RITN: Pity the poor restaurants who are closing because people aren’t drinking enough.
WIW: Bigfoot spring migration in Ohio.
*This podcast does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.*
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If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step, (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.
https://www.aa.org/
https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
This Naked Mind
