Does it still make sense to call addiction a ‘brain disease’?
The popular brain-disease model was meant to reduce stigma and explain addiction. It’s time to check whether it’s delivered
by Chrysanthi Blithikioti & Ioana Alina Cristea
Addiction
My swindler sweetheart
I was a pushover with a habit of picking cheating men as boyfriends; then one of them pushed me too far
by Patricia Olsen
How to resist everyday temptations
Acting on impulse often feels good at first, but brings trouble later. Understanding these urges can help you control them
by Peggilee Wupperman
The last blackout
Getting sober meant facing myself without the fog, and finding new ways to be gentle inside
by Michael Thomas Kincella
A life-saving boredom
For years, I sought to escape my own mind. Once I became fascinated by it, getting high lost its allure
by Rafael Frumkin
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
The shame felt in addiction often isn’t toxic – it’s healing
The push to take shame out of recovery is well-meaning. But it overlooks the power this emotion has to motivate change
by Owen Flanagan
You can want things you don’t like and like things you don’t want
The distinct neurochemistry of wanting and liking is helping to make sense of addiction – and more everyday behaviours
by Shayla Love
How to control your gambling
What’s fun at first can all too easily get out of hand. Learn the warning signs and use these tips to rein things in
by Luke Clark
Stories of mothers in crisis form a poignant portrait of unconditional love
Directed by Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell
How to drink less alcohol
You don’t have an addiction, but you know you’re drinking too much. Learn to regain control and benefit your mind and body
by Michael Levy
Professor’s little helper
Once I was prescribed Ritalin, I couldn’t do without it. How had I functioned before I got my pharmaceutical wings?
by Gordon Marino
How to talk about someone’s substance use
Worried about someone’s drinking or drug use, but not sure what to say? There’s a counselling approach that can help
by K Michelle Peavy
How to know if you’re addicted
Do you feel uneasy about your drinking or drug use? Recognising the signs of addiction can be the first step to recovery
by Rebecca E Williams
Mental illness and substance use: genes show a two-way street
Why are smoking, alcohol and cannabis use linked to mental illness? The answer is complex but valuable for mental health
by Jorien Treur
Here’s to my lovely, incandescent relationship with alcohol
Liquid gold, social pass, window on to the past, filter of life experience: my love affair with alcohol has no downside
by Anandi Mishra