In Defence of the Concept of Addiction

Stanton Peele, psychologist and well known author on the topic of addiction, recently wrote an article for Filter titled “In Defence of the Concept of Addiction”.

Stanton argues the validity of the term “addiction” in the wake of an era where many (including the DSM-5 and ICD-11) are moving away from the use of this language in favour of terms like “substance use disorder”.

Stanton’s argument is that the term addiction should be applied to all forms damaging compulsions (for example eating and love) not just in association with drug and alcohol use. By incorporating the term to include these behaviours (which we cannot remove from our lives), Stanton hopes that the way society responds to addiction will change to a compassionate approach of helping people to develop skills and find purpose in life.

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