Narrow behaviourist thinkingpermeates political and social policy and medical practice, thechildrearing advice dispensed by parenting experts and academicdiscourse. We keep trying to change peoples behaviours without a fullunderstanding of how and why those behaviours arise. Inner causesare not the proper domain of psychology, writes Roy Wise, an experton the psychology of addiction, and a prominent investigator in theNational Institute on Drug Abuse in the U.S.A.3 This statement seemsastonishing, coming from a psychologist. In reality, there can be nounderstanding of human beings, let alone of addicted human beings,without looking at inner causes, tricky as those causes can be to pindown at times. Behaviours, especially compulsive behaviours, areoften the active representations of emotional states and of specialkinds of brain functioning.As we have seen, the dominant emotional states and the brainpatterns of human beings are shaped by their early environment.Throughout their lifetimes, they are in dynamic interaction with varioussocial and emotional milieus. If we are to help addicts, we must striveto change not them but their environments. These are the only thingswe can change. Transformation of the addict must come from withinand the best we can do is to encourage it. Fortunately, there is muchthat we can do.
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About Gabor Mat
Gabor Mat was a contemporary Canadian physician. Gabor Maté is a Canadian physician and author. He has worked in family practices and specializes in childhood development and trauma, including long-term effects on physical and mental health, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and addiction. Read more on Wikipedia →
Themes
- Education — The importance of teaching, learning, and intellectual curiosity