Addiction as a Brain Disease? Cherry-Picking the Surgeon General's Report
Posted on December 2, 2016
Addiction as a Brain Disease?
Cherry-Picking the Surgeon General’s Report
by Thaddeus Camlin, Psy.D.
The Surgeon General’s “landmark” report is generating a fair amount of media attention and discussion. While it is valuable that substance use and related issues are receiving more attention, the aspects of the report receiving the lion’s share of the limelight are disappointing.
Addiction as a Brain Disease?
Yes it is true, as many media stories highlight, the report refers to addiction as a brain disease multiple times – 10 times in 428 pages by my count. Unfortunately, the reporting stops there. What is not covered in the media is that the Surgeon General’s report specifically states that addiction is a chronic brain disease, and the term addiction refers only to the most s...
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