What is it like to be an Addict? - A Conversation with Owen Flanagan

In this episode, I am joined with my guest co-host Vanessa Kredler. We sit down with Dr. Owen Flanagan—renowned philosopher at Duke University and author of What Is It Like to Be an Addict—to explore the complex, lived experience of addiction and why the description of addiction as just a brain disease can fall short.

Here’s what we cover in the episode:

• Why addiction is more than just a brain disease—and how neuroscience can oversimplify a deeply human struggle

• What craving actually feels like from the inside—and why it’s not just about “willpower”

• How lifestyle, trauma, and culture shape addiction in ways medication alone can’t touch

• The parallels between substance addiction and food addiction—especially around compulsions and loss of control

• Why different people respond differently to the same substance—and what that means for treatment

• What philosophy can teach us about shame, identity, and the desire to live well

Owen’s perspective blends science, story, and philosophy into a compassionate, thought-provoking conversation. Whether you’ve experienced addiction firsthand, work with people in recovery, or are simply trying to understand it better—this episode will leave you with insights you won’t forget.

00:00 – Intro

02:36 – How Do You Understand Craving as a Felt Experience?

03:05 – Owen’s Personal Experience With Addiction

06:01 – Where Craving Happens: Before, During, and After Use

08:08 – Craving vs Compulsion

09:10 – Conscious and Unconscious Desires

10:41 – The Complexity of Food Addiction vs Substance Addiction

13:22 – Binge Drinking and the DSM: What's Missing?

14:41 – Why One-Size-Fits-All Addiction Treatment Doesn’t Work

16:45 – Critique of “Addiction is a Brain Disease” Model

21:03 – How Brain Science Can Help—or Limit—Understanding

24:43 – Co-morbidity in Addiction (Schizophrenia, Bipolar, ADHD)

27:56 – Medications and Craving Reduction

30:02 – Behavioral Addictions

34:19 – Why Some People Get Addicted and Others Don’t

36:41 – Can You Be Born With Addiction?

42:14 – Closing Thoughts

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

🗣️Follow and connect with Owen Flanagan:

https://x.com/owenflanagan

Get his new book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dmKoy9d

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Beyond Binge Eating

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/

Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com

Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.