Maia Szalavitz: A New Lens on Addiction
The One You Feed1 Nov 2017

Maia Szalavitz: A New Lens on Addiction

Maia Szalavitz is an American reporter and author who has focused much of her work on the topic of addiction. In this paradigm-shifting interview, she explains what she means by claiming that addiction is a learning disorder, a developmental disorder. It's a different way of thinking of addiction than it being a disease or a moral failing. As a result, it has different implications for how it should then be treated. Some of what Maia has to say is polarising and some will immediately make intuitive sense and you'll ask yourself why you haven't thought that way before. Take a listen to what she has to say and let us know what you think.

Maia Szalavitz is one of the premier American journalists covering addiction and drugs. She is co-author of Born for Love and The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, both with Dr. Bruce D. Perry. Her book, Help at Any Cost is the first book-length exposé of the “tough love” business that dominates addiction treatment. She writes for TIME.com, VICE, the New York Times, Scientific American Mind, Elle, Psychology Today and Marie Claire among others.

Her latest book is Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction


In This Interview, Maia Szalavitz and I Discuss...

  • The Wolf Parable
  • Her book, Unbroken Brain: Why Addiction is a Learning Disorder and Why it Matters
  • That your brain becomes what it does - that the more you repeat an activity, the easier it becomes
  • How addiction is a developmental disorder
  • That learning is critical to addiction
  • The problems with discussion about addiction as a disease
  • Arguing that addiction is a disease and then treating it like a moral failing
  • How addiction resets your priorities and therefore you'll make very different decisions
  • Addiction = compulsive behavior that continues despite negative consequences
  • How illogical it is then to try and address addiction by focusing on implementing additional negative consequences
  • The complexity of addiction, genes + culture + timing
  • The developmental history that gets you to addiction
  • How the drug isn't the problem and our efforts to simply get rid of it isn't a helpful solution
  • Addiction as a learning disorder that is characterized by a resistance to punishment
  • The problem with "rock bottom" is that it can only be identified retrospectively, it's not helpful scientifically, and it implies a moral component of having to reach a point of extreme degradation before you can stop
  • What the motivation is that turns people to recovery
  • How addicts keep using because they can't see how they can survive any other way and recovery begins when you start to see that there are other options
  • That people with addiction are living at a point of learned helplessness, so the role of hope and other ways of managing their life is critical to recovery and it can start before they quit their drug(s) of choice
  • Addiction as a coping mechanism
  • The pleasures of the hunt vs the pleasures of the feast
  • Wanting vs Liking
  • Different motivational states
  • Addiction as escalating wanting
  • Stimulants and an escalating cycle of never being satisfied and chasing that satisfaction
  • 12 Step Programs: are they effective? are they useful?
  • The role of medicine in a developmental disorder
  • Looking at addicts as students who need to learn better coping skills rather than sinners who need to be forced to repent
  • That people who are addicted are PEOPLE and we need to treat them that way



See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(931)

Jessica Hagy

Jessica Hagy

This week on The One You Feed we have Jessica Hagy. She is an artist and writer best known for her award-winning blog, Indexed. A fixture in the creative online space, Jessica has been illustrating, consulting, and speaking since 2006.In This Interview Jessica and I discuss...The One You Feed parable.What is the Happiness Principle.Does the bad wolf look like Brad Pitt or does he look like he has scurvy?What the secret language of graphs and charts looks like.The value of small explorations.Where we can get Leonard Cohen's email address.What is the biggest business virtue you can have in today's world.Why being authentic makes you more interesting.How many good stories are there to every "Chris Hanson have a cookie" stories.How even the very succesful face imposters syndrome.Special Cards from Jessica for The One You FeedDetailed BioJessica Hagy is an artist and writer best known for her Webby award-winning blog, Indexed (www.thisisindexed.com). A fixture in the creative online space, Jessica has been prolifically illustrating, consulting, and speaking to international media and events since 2006.Her work has been described as “deceptively simple,” “undeniably brilliant,” and “our favorite reason for the Internet to exist.” Her style of visual storytelling allows readers to draw their own conclusions and to actively participate in each narrative. “Her images don’t always tell us what to think; quite often, they elegantly offer us ideas to think about.”She mixes data (both quantitative and qualitative) with humor, insight, and simple visuals to make even the most complex concepts immediately accessible and relevant. Her commissioned work frequently appears in various web formats, galleries, books, magazines, newspapers, television outlets, and advertising campaigns.Jessica Hagy LinksHow to be InterestingJessica Hagy homepageIndexedJessica Hagy page at ForbesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Jan 201426min

Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman

This week on The One You Feed our guest is Oliver Burkeman. Oliver is a journalist for the Guardian and the author of a wonderful book called The Antotdote: Happiness for People who Hate Positive Thinking.  In This Interview Oliver Burkeman and I discuss...The One You Feed parable.Why you should ask yourself:  "What is the worst thing that could happen".Do you have a problem right now?.What musterbation is and why you should avoid it.Why positive thinking isn't all it's cracked up to be.Why focusing too much on your goals can be counterproductive.How many wars were started in world history because somebody forgot their coffee in the AM.What pop songs can Oliver not get out of his head.Why positive thinking abhors a mystery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Jan 201436min

George Watsky

George Watsky

This week on The One You Feed we have George Watsky. His stage name is Watsky and he is a combination poet, rapper and musician. I first heard him from my kids and found that I enjoyed the music. After I began to listen more closely I realized I was hearing a real and vital artist who has a lot to say.In This Interview Watsky discusses:The One You Feed parablewhy he feels the need to turn his judgement on himselfcoming of age and finding himselfhow he doesn't have all the answers who Norton is his relationship with his parents and what it was like growing uphis work ethichow he handles criticismhis existential crisis at 16how to find meaning, and facing your emotionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Jan 201430min

Populärt inom Utbildning

bygga-at-idioter
historiepodden-se
det-skaver
rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
alska-oss
nu-blir-det-historia
svd-ledarredaktionen
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
allt-du-velat-veta
johannes-hansen-podcast
roda-vita-rosen
not-fanny-anymore
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
i-vantan-pa-katastrofen
sa-in-i-sjalen
sektledare
handen-pa-hjartat
rss-max-tant-med-max-villman
rss-sjalsligt-avkladd
jagaren