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The Biology of Desire: why addiction is not a disease
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The Biology of Desire: why addiction is not a disease
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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Description
Through the vivid, true stories of five people who journeyed into and out of addiction, a renowned neuroscientist explains why the 'disease model' of addiction is wrong, and illuminates the path to recovery.
The psychiatric establishment and rehab industry in the Western world have branded addiction a brain disease, based on evidence that brains change with drug use. But in The Biology of Desire, cognitive neuroscientist and former addict Marc Lewis makes a convincing case that addiction is not a disease, and shows why the disease model has become an obstacle to healing. Lewis reveals addiction as an unintended consequence of the brain doing what it's supposed to do—seek pleasure and relief—in a world that's not cooperating.
Brains are designed to restructure themselves with normal learning and development, but this process is accelerated in addiction when highly attractive rewards are pursued repeatedly. Lewis shows why treatment based on the disease model so often fails, and how treatment can be retooled to achieve lasting recovery, given the realities of brain plasticity.
Combining intimate human stories with clearly rendered scientific explanation, The Biology of Desire is enlightening and optimistic reading for anyone who has wrestled with addiction either personally or professionally.
"A courageous and much-needed voice in rethinking addiction ...Through his intimate personal and professional knowledge of addiction, Lewis reframes our understanding of its mechanisms and nature in a way that is empowering." - Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, author of The Woman Who Changed Her Brain
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Marc Lewis's The Biology of Desire challenges the traditional view of addiction as a disease, offering a fresh perspective grounded in neuroscience. Through a blend of personal stories and scientific insights, Lewis argues for a more empowering understanding of addiction, focusing on personal growth and connection. The book has been praised for its accessible writing style and its hopeful message, providing a compelling alternative to conventional addiction treatment narratives.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781925106640
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 29 July 2015
Country: Australia
Imprint: Scribe Publications
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 19.0mm
Width: 137.0mm
Height: 209.0mm
Weight: 255g
Pages: 256
About the Author
Dr Marc Lewis is a developmental neuroscientist and professor of human development and applied psychology at Radboud University Nijmegen, one of the top five universities in the Netherlands, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, where he taught and conducted research from 1989 to 2010. The author of over 50 journal publications in neuroscience and developmental psychology, he is at the forefront of knowledge of the emotional brain and the neural foundations of personality development.
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