Lance M. Dodes, M.D. vs. Walter Ling, M.D.

[freedom rings]

Both of these doctors influenced my current approach to recovery.

While the aim of this thread is not to discuss my own personal opinions regarding what addiction actually is (a ton of money is at stake here surrounding addiction and the recovery industry...) I do want to encourage a discussion on the disease concept of addiction.

Lance Dodes says according to modern research it is not a disease. Walter Ling says according to decades and decades of research it very much is a brain disease.

I have read their books.

What I find interesting is that despite how they view addiction differently, they both empower someone struggling with addiction by laying forth a way in which they can master their own minds basically.

They encourage us to feel empowered. We are not powerless according to modern experts on addiction.

What year was that first step made again by a guy named Bill I believe...?

Edit: Perhaps the 12 Steps are inherently spiritual in nature so the idea of powerlessness should only be seen as while under the influence...either way I find no need to engage in them with other resources available today. Much of 12-step meeting benefits stem from borrowing wisdom from spiritual teachings one could delve into directly if they were inclined and connecting people to a positive community which one can do in a myriad of ways that do not necessarily involve attending self-help groups. Just saying. If you work it and it works keep working it.

 

[herbavore]

I think recovery is always about finding the wisdom that resonates with you. I think if we switched out the word condition for disease it would make more sense. Calling it a disease was a well-intentioned mistake imo--it was a legitimate attempt to take the unfair moral stigma off of drug use but in a way it backfired. Knowledge is always evolving whether it is about addiction recovery or Parkinsons or ADD/ADHD.

I haven't read either of the books you mention but I do like the fact that they both advocate agency over one's own mind. When it comes right down to it, that is all life is....drugs or no drugs. We are taught that we are defined by our natures, personalities, family unbringing, etc. and certainly these are huge influences but I think what really defines a person is their willingness to explore their own possibilities beyond those influences and to take responsibility for changing their own reality-defining thoughts. For instance, I am a person that can be pretty scared of risk. My tendency is to talk myself out of trying things because of a fear of failure. So rather than accept that, I've tried to push myself in that particular way and I've noticed growth. If a person keeps repeating "I'm a failure" it's a done deal. If you can tweak that just a hair and say, "I keep failing at this effort so I need to try something new" you give yourself not only a way forward but also a flex of your mental muscles and a boost in confidence.