An Anthropologist Rethinks Addiction, Community, and the Cult of Self-Control

Reflect on the judgments your culture holds regarding addictive behaviors. Do you proudly broadcast your intense gym workouts while quietly judging those on a smoke break outside the office? What makes their addiction different from yours? Many strive to amplify the habits our culture praises simply because they validate our commitment. When culture drives people into the shadows through shame and exclusion, it deepens the wound. Does healing begin not by policing willpower, but by replacing judgment with human connection? To frame addiction through the lens of harm reduction psychology, Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Elizabeth F.S. Roberts, anthropologist and author. Rethinking addiction and shame, Elizabeth’s book In Praise of Addiction: Or How We Can Learn to Love Dependency in a Damaged World draws on her first-hand experience of living in Latin culture. In this addiction anthropology podcast, she explains how these communities handle dependency and human connection, revealing how isolation, rather than the addiction itself, is considered the true danger. Like what you're hearing? WANT MORE SOUND IDEAS FOR DEEPER THINKING? Check out More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus content available exclusively on https://harvestinghappiness.substack.com/ and https://medium.com/@HarvestingHappiness.