The Selfish Brain: Learning from Addiction

by Robert L. DuPont

Why is the brain so vulnerable to the effects of alcohol and other drugs? How does addiction echo through families, cultures, and history? What is it that families and communities do to promote or prevent addiction?

These are some of the questions that this thorough, thoughtful, and well-reasoned book answers--in clear, comprehensible terms. From the basics of brain chemistry to the workings of particular drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, The Selfish Brain explains how individuals and communities become trapped in destructive habits--and how various treatments and approaches lead to recovery and whole, healthy lives.

Genres: Psychology, Addiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Robert L. DuPont, MD was the first Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the second White House Drug Chief. He then became the founding President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., a non-profit drug abuse research and policy organization and also joined the faculty of the Georgetown University School of Medicine as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. A graduate of Emory University, he received an MD degree from the Harvard Medical School and completed his psychiatric training at Harvard and the National Institutes of Health. He has been a practicing psychiatrist for more than fifty years.

His most recent contribution is Chemical Slavery: Understanding Addiction and Stopping the Drug Epidemic

Reviews

[Alicia Hinojosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this book was a repeated bunch of information that I already had gathered from other sources throughout my experience in rehab and rehab prisons the book is well written but sometimes over elaborate on very minuscule bags I sometimes thought that author was trying to make the book lengthier what it says about all the information is very accurate because I have gotten this information from more than one source and it is exactly as I have gotten it before I agree that addiction is something that it’s owned subject of study and that there should be professionals versed in this so that people who are deep in it can have a good chance of getting out of it when they are aided by people who are qualified.

[Susan Letts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best and most comprehensive book I have ever read on the topics of addiction, codependency and the prevention of addiction. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to learn about the baffling disease of addiction and the hope found in recovery.

[Sue Tretter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure but I would guess that most of my ratings are in the 4 or 5 range. Not this one!, partially for a reason not the author's fault, and one that is of the author's doing.
First, the book was published in 1997 and a great deal has changed in the world of drugs and drug rehabilitation since then. The author, Dr. DuPont, is totally anti-legalization and anti-decriminalization so when he writes that marijuana will NEVER be legalized, it's quite a reminder that if that information is out of date, other, more important info might be totally wrong. A relatively minor issue but not totally inconsequential.
The second point was really worrisome for me. Dr. DuPont is nearly 100% in favor of the 12-step programs, especially Alcoholics Anonymous. He seems to minimize the ubiquity of the God/religion component of A.A., encouraging everyone to attend even if they experience the groups as off-putting at first. He seems to believe that 99+% of North American addicts should attend 90 AA meetings in 90 days at first, stepping down to several per week, and then fewer and fewer but still work the program, presumably for the rest of the addict's life (as he defines addition). He brooks little complaint about the groups, though he does mention some potential drawbacks including the "13th Step," the tendency of young, attractive, and needy women to be hit on by male members of AA -- definitely not what one wants to imagine happening when one is trying to repair one's life after the depths of addiction despair. (I do respect that DuPont was forthright about this issue.)
He casually mentions some of the A.A. alternatives but my sense was that he thought them inferior and not worthwhile.
Religion is also a huge facet of the book. And while it is likely true that atheists and agnostics or those belonging to a non-traditional religion (Wiccan for example) would gain something from the A.A. experience, shouldn't they have an option that meets their personalities, their religious traditions and lifestyle? And if that isn't possible, is it really necessary that the words "God" and "Higher Power" are used in every meeting, open and close, and so often in the written materials?
I did learn quite a bit from this book. I'm glad that I read it and that it will be on my shelf forever, but by the last chapter (The Future of Addiction), I was more than ready to put the book down! Or throw it across the room. Such a feeling is very unusual for me.
The book is 500+ pages with helpful diagrams, analogies, and asides.
For many, an updated edition of this book would probably be a wonderful read or for research usage. It's possible that I'm just uber-sensitive to the religion thing and the incredibly huge number of favorable comments about 12-step programs and the lack of balance imo.

[Jennifer]

Fascinating