You are not an alcoholic. Drinking is a choice – not a compulsion or disease. When you say, “I’m an alcoholic” or “I am powerless over alcohol” you are perpetuating the Myth of Addiction. Continue reading Don’t promote the myth!→
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Most people join AA because drinking is no longer fun and they are seeking a replacement for the bar scene. These people are not alcoholics. But when they say, “I am an alcoholic” or “I am powerless over alcohol” they are perpetuating the Myth of Addiction. It is no coincidence that this is the first step of the initiation into the group — a classic brain washing technique. Continue reading AA double talk→
There are many causes of the drug addiction myth, but one of the most important is Alcoholics Anonymous and other “12 Step” programs. These programs require that the participant believe that addiction exists and that they are in fact a drug addict, in order to participate in the program. The first step of the program is:
20 years from now all drugs will be legal, and people will look back on the drug war and say, “What were we thinking??!!”.There will not be addiction or even widespread drug abuse. People will be aware of the effects of drugs (good and bad) and will use them responsibly. Some people will use drugs to excess, learn their lesson, and then stop (much like the great majority of us already do today). The myth of drug addiction will be remembered as one of the many silly obsessions of the past that resulted in unnecessary and widespread oppression, destruction and death. Continue reading Legalization and the end of the drug war→
Much of the modern medical conception of addiction is based on animal studies performed during the 1960s and 70s. In the experiments, a needle was placed into the leg of a caged rat. The intravenous apparatus was connected to a lever in the cage that administered a drug, generally either cocaine or heroin. The rats soon learned that by pressing the button they would get a dose of the drug, and the rats were soon ‘addicted’. They pressed the button continually, ignoring food sources, sometimes until death. When the drug was withdrawn, the rats would go through characteristic withdrawal symptoms – anxiety, jumpiness, sleeplessness, etc. Continue reading Rat addicts and the science of addiction→
Don’t believe that addiction to drugs and alcohol is a myth? Well, just listen to the addicts themselves. Here’s an entertaining and inspiring speech by radio/tv personality and comedian, and addict, Danny Bonaduce. He spent 17 years on drugs and alcohol, and was in and out of rehab 28 times. He’s speaking at an East Las Vegas Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Continue reading Listen to the addicts themselves→
Society perpetuates a pervasive myth about drug and alcohol addiction. The myth goes as follows: Certain people, whether because of biological or psychological reasons, are prone to drug problems and addiction. Continue reading The Addiction Myth→