Join Marc Lewis, a former professor of developmental psychology and an expert in addiction neuroscience, as he shares his personal journey and insights. He delves into how early experiences shape addictive behaviors and the cyclical link between identity and addiction. Discover why breaking addiction patterns is challenging and what recovery strategies actually work. Marc also highlights the importance of self-reflection and reframing one's identity in the path to recovery, offering hope and resilience through personal growth.
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Marc Lewis's Addiction Journey
Marc Lewis shares his personal journey through addiction with heroin and opiates, including struggles with stealing and forging prescriptions.
He stopped using heavily around age 30 and later built a successful career in psychology, showing recovery is possible.
insights INSIGHT
Addiction as Habitual Emotion Regulation
Addiction often starts as a habitual emotion regulation strategy stemming from difficult childhood or adolescent experiences.
This habit can become a central part of a person's identity and way of coping with life.
insights INSIGHT
Addiction's Root Cause Is Emotional Imbalance
There is no single root cause of addiction; it arises when people feel worse without drugs than with them.
This emotional imbalance causes the addictive behavior to become the habitual way to regulate feelings.
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In *The Biology of Desire*, Marc Lewis presents a compelling case against the disease model of addiction, suggesting that it is an unintended consequence of the brain's normal functioning in pursuit of pleasure and relief. Through vivid stories of individuals who have overcome addiction, Lewis illuminates a path to recovery that focuses on retooling treatment approaches to achieve lasting results.
Memoirs of an Addicted Brain
Memoirs of an Addicted Brain
Mark Lewis
A high price
Daniel Byman
In 'A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism', Daniel Byman examines Israel's counterterrorism strategies, discussing the myths of Israeli superiority and incompetence in fighting terror. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of Israel's security measures, including the construction of security barriers, and explores the challenges in developing a long-term counterterrorism strategy.
Unbroken brain
Maia Szalavitz
In *Unbroken Brain*, Maia Szalavitz challenges traditional views of addiction by presenting it as a learning disorder, emphasizing the role of neuroplasticity and environmental factors. The book combines personal narrative with scientific research to offer a compassionate and effective approach to understanding and treating addiction.
Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear
Carl Hart
In this book, Dr. Carl L. Hart presents a radically different vision of drug use, arguing that when used responsibly, drugs can be beneficial for human health and functioning. Hart draws on his over 25 years of research and his own personal experiences to debunk popular myths about drug addiction. He argues that the greatest damage from drugs comes from their illegal status and the resultant stigma and racialized policies. The book emphasizes that many adults use drugs responsibly without becoming addicts, and it advocates for a shift towards drug policies based on scientific evidence and human rights rather than fear and sensationalism.
The night of the gun
David Carr
The Night of the Gun is a brutally honest memoir by David Carr, detailing his journey from the depths of crack addiction to becoming a respected journalist at The New York Times. The book explores themes of addiction, recovery, and the reliability of memory, as Carr interviews friends, family, and others to piece together his past. It's a story of personal redemption and the power of truth-telling.
The Future of AI in Business
Jane Smith
Drinking: A Love Story
Caroline Knapp
In 'Drinking: A Love Story,' Caroline Knapp candidly recounts her 20-year battle with alcoholism. The book describes her life as a 'high-functioning alcoholic,' where she used alcohol to escape personal relationships and the realities of life. Knapp details her descent into alcoholism, influenced by her family dynamics and personal crises, and her eventual struggle to achieve sobriety. The memoir is a powerful and truthful account of her 'tortured love affair' with alcohol and her journey towards recovery, including her experiences with rehab and AA meetings.
1984
None
George Orwell
Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.
Professor Marc Lewis is a former Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Toronto and a world leading expert in the neuroscience of addiction. It was particularly interesting to speak with Marc because not only does he have a deep understanding of the neural mechanisms underneath addictive processes, he also has battled with quite severe opioid addictions himself. He is the author of two bestselling books on the subject: Memoirs of an Addicted Brain, and The Biology of Desire. Now, he works as a clinical psychologist in Toronto, specialising in addiction treatment.
You’ll learn:
— How Marc’s experiences as a developmental psychologist helped him to develop his groundbreaking learning model of addiction
— A simple introduction to the neuroscience of addiction and the brain areas involved
— Why it’s hard to stop an addictive pattern once it has taken hold
— What works (and what doesn’t) in recovery.
And more.
You can learn more about Marc’s innovative work by visiting: www.memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com
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Prof Marc Lewis, PhD is a neuroscientist, professor, bestselling author, and one of the world’s leading experts on the neuroscience of addiction. In his academic work, he has authored or co-authored more than fifty journal articles, and for many years was a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Toronto and then Radboud University (Netherlands) before retiring.
For the last decade, he has focused on making his work more accessible to a wider audience through books for lay readers, pop science articles, public talks, and interviews. He is the author of two bestselling books on addiction: “Memoirs of an Addicted Brain” and “The Biology of Desire”, a book which Dr Gabor Mate argues “effectively refutes the disease model of addiction.” He is currently practicing psychotherapy as a clinical psychologist in Toronto, working with clients with addictive problems and other difficulties.
You can learn more about his work at www.memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com.
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6 Books Prof Lewis Recommends for Every Therapist Should Read:
— Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear —Dr. Carl L. Hart - https://amzn.to/44MnKfG
— High Price: Drugs, Neuroscience, and Discovering Myself — Dr. Carl L. Hart - https://amzn.to/3Kt8YmH
— Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction — Szalavitz Maia - https://amzn.to/3NS0p5q
— Drinking: A Love Story — Caroline Knapp - https://amzn.to/3NWYaOt
— The Night of the Gun — David Carr - https://amzn.to/44SHYod
— The Biology of Desire: why addiction is not a disease (The Addicted Brain) —Prof Marc Lewis - https://amzn.to/44QYpBl