The Subject of Addiction: Psychoanalysis and The Administration of Enjoyment

by Rik Loose

Drugs and drug use are an integral part of human culture. Yet we know hardly anything about drugs, at least not the kind of knowledge that would help us to understand how drugs affect people and how people beome addicted to drugs. This is most surprising in the light of the vast amount of knowledge accumulated in the sciences. Psychoanalysis might not be an obvious choice for the treatment of addiction. Nevertheless, it is in an excellent position to make a contribution to a problem that has so far defied much of our understanding. By inviting people to speak about themselves, psychoanalysis has established a unique way of collecting clinical material, a material that surely must be immediately relevant coming as it does from the horse's mouth. With addiction on the increase, this fact alone justifies the necessity for a different approach.Providing a theoretical foundation for the argument that psychoanalysis should be seriously considered, and where possible incorporated into the treament of addicts, this thoughtful and innovative book can serve as an orientation in the ongoing front-line battle with addicts and addiction.

314 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2002

Reviews

[Seppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of Freud and Lacan on addiction.

[Christopher Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book on addiction to read. The first part is a section on Freud that sets up the real meat of the book, addiction through a Lacanian lens -- and this is brilliant. The story of the history and the presentation of the ideas are both extremely clear. Loose is a master with the subject, unlike other books out there that are a mess or dry as hell. Different types of addictions are also discussed rather than lumped under some general idea, which I find good. The author does not shirk from careful explorations and citations, but never to the expense of the progression of the ideas. To be clear this is not an area of interest for me, but Lacan is and tying these together has convinced me, not that I need to read more on addiction studies, but that I definitely need to read more Loose.

[Ian Wraga · Rating 5 out of 5]

The absolute best book on addiction.