202: Maia Szalavitz: A New Lens on Addiction

<p>Maia Szalavitz is an American reporter and author who has focused much of her work on the topic of addiction. In this paradigm-shifting interview, she explains what she means by claiming that addiction is a learning disorder, a developmental disorder. It's a different way of thinking of addiction than it&nbsp;being&nbsp;a disease or a moral failing. As a result, it has different implications for how it should then be treated. Some of what Maia has to say is polarising and some will immediately make intuitive sense and you'll ask yourself why you haven't thought that way before. Take a listen to what she has to say and let us know what you think.</p><p>Maia Szalavitz is one of the premier American journalists covering addiction and drugs. She is&nbsp;co-author&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="http://amzn.to/2iizDV4" target="_blank">Born for Love&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://amzn.to/2A4vkF6" target="_blank">The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog</a>, both with Dr. Bruce D. Perry. Her book,&nbsp;Help at Any Cost&nbsp;is the first book-length exposé of the “tough love” business that dominates addiction treatment. She writes for&nbsp;<em>TIME</em>.com, VICE, the&nbsp;<em>New York Times, Scientific American Mind, Elle, Psychology Today</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Marie Claire&nbsp;</em>among others.</p><p>Her latest book is&nbsp;<a href="http://amzn.to/2ikQqqD" target="_blank">Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction</a></p><p><br></p><p>&nbsp;In This Interview,&nbsp;Maia Szalavitz and I Discuss...</p><ul><li>The Wolf Parable</li><li>Her book, Unbroken Brain: Why Addiction is a Learning Disorder and Why it Matters</li><li>That your brain becomes what it does - that the more you repeat an activity, the easier it becomes</li><li>How addiction is a developmental disorder</li><li>That learning is critical to addiction</li><li>The problems with discussion about addiction as a disease</li><li>Arguing that addiction is a disease and&nbsp;then treating it like a moral failing</li><li>How addiction resets yo