Humans are well-known creatures of habit but at what point does a habit become an addiction? Is addiction a choice, a moral failing, a disease, all of these, or none? Are certain personality types more likely to become addicted, or those from certain social environments? And how can one recover from addiction?
In this fascinating introduction to the psychological issues behind addiction, these questions and more are addressed. How might understanding the psychology of addiction influence social policy and societal views, issues of recovery and the everyday life of an addict? Covering a range of addictive behaviours from drug and alcohol use to gambling and gaming, the book explains how our biology, psychology and social environment can interact to make addiction more or less likely. It also explores interventions, highlighting the importance of social networks to recovery, and the need for compassion instead of prejudice and stigma when dealing with addition.
The Psychology of Addiction provides a full and sensitive insight to anyone who has experienced addictions of their own or witnessed addictions in their loved ones.