The Weekend University

Neuroscience: Addiction as Learning - The Missing Link? — Prof. Marc Lewis

Apr 17, 2025
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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ANECDOTE

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.
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.
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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