The Myth of Addiction
In this second edition of his groundbreaking work, John Booth Davies expands and updates his highly acclaimed study of the true reasons for drug use.
Current attitudes towards drug misuse in the media, government and even treatment centres, often exaggerate the pharmacological power of drugs. Their coercive influence is widely believed to be so great that to experiment with a drug is tantamount to addiction.
Davies argues that such beliefs are largely inaccurate and harmful. Research shows that explanations for drug use vary according to circumstances. Drug users may explain that they have lost their willpower and capacity for personal decision-making, because this is the explanation expected of them, but most actually use drugs because they want to and because they see no good reason for giving them up. Addicted behaviour is therefore a form of learned helplessness, not an effect caused by narcotic intake.
Available editions
Save this book
Save
OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.
Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.
Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.
We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.
Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.
Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.
