Johann Hari Discusses Addiction

In a Ted Talk in July of 2015, Johann Hari discusses addiction to a captivated audience. Hari claims that, “everything we know about addiction is wrong.” Hari begins by explaining the general consensus about drug addiction, which is that it includes a person becoming physically dependent on a substance based on a chemical hook that takes place in the brain. Many people believe this is the cause for addiction, which often results the need for help from a Boca Raton sober living home.

However, during the Ted Talk where Johann Hari discusses addiction, he proposes a novel idea: What if drug addiction is not caused by chemical dependence, but by a human need to fill a void in one’s life? For example, in the 1970s, Professor Alexander conducted a study involving rats. When rats had the option between drinking plain water or water laced with heroin or cocaine, the rat naturally chose the drug-infused water, and got addicted. This is a pretty clear sign that animals get hooked on drugs. However, the scientist then built a rat park. This rat park included plenty of cheese, toys, other rats to interact with, and the choice of the two waters. In this rat paradise, the rat chose regular water.

Based on this evidence, Hari proposes that animals, including humans, do not necessarily become physically addicted to substances. Rather, people compensate with drugs when they are lacking social connections in their lives. The objective is for someone coping with addiction to replace drugs with meaningful connections with others during their stay at a Boca Raton sober living home. Humans are programmed to bond with others. As soon as this need is met, the dependence on a drug will diminish.