106: The Urge—Our History of Addiction (Dr. Carl Erik Fisher)

For as long as we have been humans, we have loved using drugs, and some of us have struggled with problematic use. Epidemics have come and gone, and with them various stigmas and stereotypes about drug use. By looking closely at those numerous epidemics and how they were handled, we can pinpoint various places for improvement in our current drug policies. On this episode Dr. Carl Erik Fisher joins me to talk about addiction, identity, treatment, recovery and drugs, plus we dig into his new book, The Urge: Our History of Addiction. We discuss the history of addiction, concepts of recovery, stigmas surrounding use in particular groups, double-standards regarding punishment, 12-step programs, identity and lots more. You can contact Dr. Fisher or buy the book at the links above.Support the show