"Why We Are Addicted" Author: [US] Maya Sarawis Publisher: Utopia | Hainan Publishing House

An addiction expert tells his personal story of 25 years of addiction self-help

Unraveling the mystery of human addiction through the mechanisms of drugs, brain and learning

Recommended by drug control expert Bao Han

「Editor's Recommendation」

1. 25 years of addiction self-help journey, a psychological masterpiece written based on personal experience

A top student of neurology at Columbia University, an addiction researcher, and a senior media professional with 25 years of addiction self-help experience, he uses scientific theories and vivid cases to comprehensively explain the neurological and psychological mechanisms of human addiction - it turns out that addiction is a complex learning disorder of the brain, and addiction is also a general term for many complex symptoms, which cannot be generalized.

2. Care about individual addicts and expose the unfairness of American laws in treating addicts

Addiction is not an inherent moral label, and addicts should not be discriminated against by society. Due to historical, cultural and social reasons, before the 1980s, the US legal system for treating drug addicts was very unreasonable and imperfect, leading to countless personal and family tragedies. Each addict needs to be cared for and treated specifically, and society and family should help them to successfully quit addiction. During the nearly 30 years of investigation, research and writing on addiction, the author, together with other experts, promoted the passage of the US addiction treatment bill, protecting the physical and mental health of many addicts.

3. A work of candor and sincerity

Although it is a popular science book on psychology, it is told through the author's own memoirs. The author was born in a wealthy family and was very talented since childhood, but after adolescence, she fell into the quagmire of drug addiction caused by the environment. However, she also got back on track through strong will, active learning and the support of her family, and finally solved the mystery of addiction and changed some dark sides of American society. A patient who has been tortured by addiction for many years, her sincere self-confession aroused the resonance of the vulnerable group of drug addicts, which is convincing.

「Content Introduction」

Popular science writer Sarah Szalavitz was born into a middle-class American Jewish family. She became addicted to drugs while studying at Columbia University in the 1980s. During her treatment, she encountered many dark sides of the American addiction treatment system. Since then, she has been committed to changing the dilemma of addiction treatment for more than 20 years. While narrating her own life trajectory, she comprehensively analyzed the nature, principles and constraints of addiction from the perspectives of neuroscience, sociology, psychology, medicine and pharmacology.

She found that addiction is a learning disability, and the reasons for addiction vary greatly from person to person. There is no "one-size-fits-all" way to quit addiction. Rather than saying that addiction is a kind of depravity or mental illness, it is better to say that it is a general term for many different diseases. Only by understanding the different factors and mechanisms behind each person's addiction can we get to the core of addiction and finally solve the mystery of addiction.

About the Author