addiction

occupation / innovator as

journalist

nationality

American

When I talk about addiction being a learning disorder, I'm not saying that it isn't a problem of the brain, obviously. I'm saying the kind of problem it is is more like ADHD than it is Alzheimer's. And I think that fits the data. If addiction is actually progressive, it should be harder to recover as you get older and that is not actually true. It also gives a much more hopeful message. Because when people hear 'chronic progressive brain disease' they think dementia. When they hear hijacked brain they think: oh my god, these are zombies who are dangerous and we better lock them up for the protection of the rest of us. They think of people who have no responsibility for their actions so therefore we can treat them like children.

Maia Szalavitz

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Maia Szalavitz