Bruce Alexander, psychologist
Renowned psychologist Bruce Alexander calls for a stronger recognition of the social nature of our worsening global addiction problem.
Addiction: What to Do When Everything Else has Failed
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The new paradigm doesn’t really fit that well. Even the word addiction, which is used extensively, is unhelpful.
Every now and again he touches on the reality of destructive behaviour but overly simplifies it and incorporates it into a conclusion that really isn’t supported by the facts. For example recreational drug use in the UK isactually declining and has been for a while. That could be evidence that theold paradigm he challenges is actually working?
Ironically he never gets round to answering the question entitling the presentation.
What is encouraging though is the departure that damaging,compulsive behaviour isn’t a function of the substance itself but of emotional needs, though his description of this as dislocation is overly dramatic and certainly untrue of people dependent upon alcohol but who maintain normal fulfilling lives in every respect.
David Allen
Author ‘The Sophisticated Alcoholic’