Diseasing of America: Addiction Treatment Out of Control - Softcover

Peele, Stanton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0395588022 ISBN 13: 9780395588024

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1991

Synopsis

Challenges the myth that alcoholism and drug use are biochemical diseases necessitating medical treatment, treatment that has become big business, and emphasizes our strength and capacity to change by choice

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Alcoholism and drug-taking may be addictions, but they are not diseases, maintains clinical psychologist Peele. In a plainspoken and courageous critique that goes against current medical fashion, the coauthor of Love and Addiction attacks the "addiction-as-disease" model promoted by Alcoholics Anonymous, drug treatment centers and others. He asserts that such programs blunt a substance abuser's sense of personal responsibility and, in so doing, may actually worsen her or his chances for recovery. He further argues that behavioral, family, aversive and "community reinforcement" therapies--or no therapy at all--work as well as AA. Peele is appalled by the extension of the disease model of addiction to such activities as overeating, smoking, compulsive sex and gambling. His hard-hitting attack on he "addiction treatment industry" supplies an effective antidote to what he sees as a breakdown of personal will, social support and a sense of community.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395588022
• ISBN 13: 9780395588024
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 321