Our own Chandra Sripada, Professor of Philosophy and Psychiatry, was mentioned in a New York Times article released yesterday. The article is titled, "This Is What Neuroscientists and Philosophers Understand About Addiction". The author of the article seeks to answer questions such as, "Was my brain hijacked by drugs — or was I willfully choosing to risk it all for a few hours of selfish pleasure? What makes people continue taking drugs like street fentanyl, which put them at daily risk of death?" They discuss the way that we as a society, view and treat addiction, as well as drug policy as a whole.
Chandra's ideas are quoted here:
"Chandra Sripada, professor of psychiatry and philosophy at the University of Michigan, argues that distorted thinking is more important in addictive behavior than overwhelming desire, leading to what he calls “unreliable” control over use. He focuses on how addiction affects our stream of consciousness.
During addiction, he contends, despairing thoughts about oneself and the future — not just thoughts about how good the drug is — predominate. At the same time, thoughts about negative consequences of use are minimized, as are those about alternative ways of coping. Drugs are overvalued as a way to mitigate distress; everything else is undervalued. The result is an unstable balance, which, more often than not, tips toward getting high."
