Podcast appearances and mentions of Bruce K Alexander

Dr Bruce Alexander is an internationally recognised author and psychologist perhaps most well known for his “rat-park” experiment and dislocation theory of addiction. Few people on the planet have contributed more to our understanding of the social and contextual factors driving addiction, so it was a real privilege to have this conversation. In this episode you'll learn: — Why psychology is only one piece of the addiction puzzle and the importance of taking a wider view — The extent to which belonging to a culture can be thought of as a basic human need; as essential to our wellbeing as food and water, and what happens in its absence — The historical factors driving the addiction crisis — Bruce's famous rat park experiment and how this is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how we see addictions And more. You can learn more about Bruce's work by going to: www.brucekalexander.com --- Dr Bruce K. Alexander is a renowned Canadian psychologist and professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. He is best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of addiction and his influential theory known as the "Rat Park" experiment. Bruce Kenneth Alexander was born on December 13, 1939, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He then pursued graduate studies at the University of Oregon, earning his Ph.D. in experimental psychology. Throughout his career, Alexander focused on studying addiction and its underlying causes, challenging prevailing theories that viewed addiction as solely a result of chemical dependency. He sought to explore the social and environmental factors that contribute to addictive behavior. Alexander's work highlighted the importance of social connections, environmental factors, and personal fulfillment in preventing and treating addiction. He argued that creating supportive communities and addressing the root causes of addiction, such as social isolation and psychological distress, are crucial for effective prevention and treatment strategies. Beyond his research, Alexander has been a vocal advocate for drug policy reform and has been critical of the war on drugs. He has called for a shift toward harm reduction strategies and the implementation of evidence-based approaches to address substance abuse. Bruce K. Alexander has published numerous articles and book chapters on addiction, psychology, and drug policy. His work continues to inspire researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in the field of addiction studies. --- 4 Books Dr Alexander Recommends for Every Therapist Should Read: — Scenes and studies of savage life - Sproat, Gilbert Malcolm, 1832-1913 - https://bit.ly/SSS-UBC2023 — Addiction and Devotion in Early Modern England — Rebecca Lemon - https://amzn.to/3XIBCW7 — Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice — Craig Reinarman and Harry G. Levine - https://amzn.to/433VtQE — Coming Clean: Overcoming Addiction without Treatment — Robert Granfield and William Cloud - https://amzn.to/3ppAqKN

I start by describing how podcast guest Carl Erik Fisher, author of bestseller The Urge, reviewed my upcoming book Sustainability Simplified as a subject matter expert on addiction. Carl mentioned how my book suffered from what Bruce describes as the demon drug myth. He pointed to Bruce's work as seminal, so I started reading it.I'd heard of Rat Park and later remembered Johan Hari mentioning Bruce in his TED talk where he said "the opposite of addiction is community". I couldn't wait to talk to Bruce. Carl introduced us. We spoke. Bruce clarified the demon drug myth. I described how addiction and doof figure in my sustainability leadership work.In our conversation, Bruce described how working with self-described junkies in the early 1950s led him to reinterpret the common wisdom "proved" by experiments that some chemicals addicted people, end of story. He then described how he created Rat Park, which showed a lot more nuance and alternative explanations. You can read about Rat Park on Bruce's page or this comic book version, but his description in our conversation is engaging and thorough.Then he shares how people continue to stick with the old view of addiction and drugs. It's easy. It takes parents and others off the hook.He describes new views of addiction. You won't see addiction the same after. If you want to stop polluting and depleting yourself and help people you know and communities you are a member of, this conversation will change how you view it forever. You'll approach it with more understanding, empathy, and compassion.Bruce's home page, aka Bruce K. Alexander's Globalization of Addiction Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Globalization of Addiction Rat Park study The NEW Meth

Join Resistance Recovery Founder Piers Kaniuka, Bruce Alexander, and Kent Dunnington as they discuss the meaning of addiction and the novel challenges of recovery in the 21st century. Recorded on May 13, 2021.Bruce K. Alexander is a psychologist and professor emeritus from Vancouver, BC, Canada. He has taught and conducted research on the psychology of addiction at Simon Fraser University since 1970. He retired from active teaching in 2005. Alexander and SFU colleagues conducted a series of experiments into drug addiction known as the Rat Park experiments. You can learn more about Bruce Alexander's work and publications by visiting https://brucekalexander.com.Kent Dunnington, associate professor of philosophy at Biola University, teaches and writes in the areas of virtue ethics and theological ethics. Other research interests include addiction and criminal justice, inspired by his experiences teaching in prison.You can learn more about Kent Dunnington's work and publications by visiting https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/kent-dunnington.Resistance Recovery (RR) is reimagining addiction, recovery, and community in the 21st century. Piers Kaniuka, MTS, MS has worked with thousands of addicts and alcoholics in his 25+ years in the field. Discover RR's new paradigm of addiction recovery by visiting http://resistancerecovery.com.Join the Resistance: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1236683136534727/ Visit the RR YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RESISTANCERECOVERYSign-up for Long Threads and get Resistance Recovery news: https://mailchi.mp/ddc8023bec67/welcometoresistancerecoverySupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/resistance-recovery/donations

Welcome to another episode of Wild and Precious Conversations. This week is a conversation with my sister and my cousins on our perfectly imperfect family. Chalk this up to yet another time I thought I was going to get off easy…After many many hours of deep thought, lots of laughing, and many conversations, text messages, and still more conversations, we have an episode for you.Obviously, we’re not the Kardashians, so it’s fair to ask why you’d want to listen to us talk about our family.We’re not the Cleavers, either, so we certainly can’t lecture you on anything close to “Do this, not that”.What we can do, by opening up a bit ourselves, is to start the conversation.We are a perfectly imperfect family. We enjoy being together, look forward to talking to each other, and genuinely feel close to each other. Join us as we explore what makes us “work” — even in light of lots of reasons we shouldn’t.Beyond this, I am really interested in your family. What makes it work? What do you hold in high esteem? What are you carrying forward into the next generation? What I talked about:First, We introduce the family holiday at the Hall household. Not for the faint of heart but lots of fun.Second, We realize that the creativity runs deep in our family — was it tolerance or true love that allowed us to create elaborate haunted houses every family holiday?Third, No one gets left behind. We explore how it works in our family that we can expand to include whoever and whatever shows up.Fourth, We realize that, like separating the wheat from the chaff, we have carried things forward into the next generation and simply left the things that didn’t work on the threshing floor.Onward to Enriched Environment. We’re still working through connectedness and it seems fitting that the next place to go is to explore our environments. I’m going to look into the Rat Park experiments that took place at Simon Fraser University in the 1970s and learn a bit about the story of Bruce K. Alexander, the man who created Rat Park. Hopefully, we’ll learn a bit how we can create an enriched environment for ourselves and why that is so important.The Underbelly Project: A weekly workout for your emotional strength and flexibility. If you’re not afraid to get dusty and maybe shed a few tears together, join me and let’s get emotionally strong! And please, if you know anyone who might like to share this journey, share this project. Excited to stay in the arena with you. Get on the email list at underbelly.substack.com

Er avhengighet en sykdom eller et valg? Er det forårsaket av psykososiale faktorer, genetikk og/eller fysiologi? Er det stoffet eller våre avhengige disposisjoner og tilhørende oppførsel som gjør mennesker til slaver, eller har noen personer bestemte karaktertrekk som gjør dem mer sårbare for avhengighet og misbruk? Er avhengighet et symptom eller et uttrykk for psykologiske vanskeligheter? Skal det forstås som en destruktiv mestringsstrategi for å takle emosjonelle konflikter? Spørsmålene er mange, og svarene spriker i like mange retninger. Dette er tema i denne episoden av SinnSyn.For den psykologisk interesserteEr du mer interessert i mennesket indre liv, relasjoner og selvutvikling, håper jeg du klikker deg inn på WebPsykologens bokhandel og sørger for at du får én eller flere av mine bøker i posten i løpet av få dager. Eventuelt kan du klikke deg inn på min Patreon konto og bli supporter av SinnSyn. På den måten støtter du dette prosjektet, og som takk for støtten får du en del ekstramateriale. Du får flere eksklusive episoder av SinnSyn, videomateraiell som ikke publiseres andre steder, og du kan høre meg lese og gjennomgå min første bok, Selvfølelsens Psykologi – Bedre selvfølelse ved å bruke hodet litt annerledes. Ved hjelp av en rekke psykologiske teorier forsøker jeg å lage et slags treningsprogram hvor man gjør øvelser som styrker selvbilde, selvfølelsen og mentale muskler. Er du blant de som finner verdi her på SinnSyn, og litt over middels interessert i psykologi og filosofi, så er medlemskap i SinnSynes mentale helsestudio kanskje noe for deg. Håper å se deg som Patreon-supporter. Du finner medlemskapet på www.patreon.com/sinnsyn.En annen måte å støtte podcasten på, er å kjøpe merchandise fra SinnSyn. Er du en person som liker å tenke litt dypere, og ser på denne typen refleksjon og ettertanke som mental trening, mener jeg at man bør ha treningstøyet i orden. På et nettsted som heter Teespring har jeg min egen butikk hvor du kan få kjøpt SinnSyns kolleksjon av «mentalt treningstøy». Kolleksjonen heter «Alt du tenker og føler er feil», og hvis du skjønner hva det slagordet forsøker å formidle, må du nesten ha en skjorte som reflekterer denne innsikten. Sjekk ut mine T-skjorter og hoodies på Tespring. Linken finner du i showrotes eller på webpsykologen.no. Takk for følge og takk for støtten!KilderAddiction and Recovery Staff (2009, December 10). The Genetics of Addiction. Addictions and Recovery Organization [online]. Hentet fra http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htmAddiction and Recovery Staff (2009, December 10). The Definition of AddictionBrainz Staff (2009). 10 Common Causes of Addiction. Brainz [online]. Hentet fra http://brainz.org/10-common-causes-addiction/Fainsinger, Robin L., Thai, Vincent, Frank, Gary and Fergusson, Jean (2006, November). What’s in a Word? Addiction Versus Dependence in DSM-V. American Journal of Psychiatry [online]. Hentet fra http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/163/11/2014-aHalpern, John M. (2002, October 1). Addiction Is a Disease17-20) Shaffer, Howard J. (2009, March 31). What is Addiction?: A Perspective. Cambridge Health Alliance [online]. Hentet fra http://www.divisiononaddictions.org/html/whatisaddiction.htmLevine, Harry G. (2009, June 23). Review of “The Globalisation Of Addiction: A Study In Poverty Of The Spirit” by Bruce K. Alexander. Harm Reduction Journal [online]. Hentet fra http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2717062/Nelson, Bryce (1983, January 18). THE ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY: COMMON TRAITS ARE FOUND. N ew York Times [online]. Hentet fra http://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/18/science/the-addictive-personality-common-traits-are-found.htmlSchaler, Jeffrey A. (2002, October 1). Addiction is Choice. Psychiatric Times [online]19:10. Hentet fra http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/47476?verify=0WHO Staff (2001). Drug Addiction. World Health Organization [online]. Hentet fra http://www.emro.who.int/mnh/whd/PublicInformation-Part3.htm See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Er avhengighet en sykdom eller et valg? Er det forårsaket av psykososiale faktorer, genetikk og/eller fysiologi? Er det stoffet eller våre avhengige disposisjoner og tilhørende oppførsel som gjør mennesker til slaver, eller har noen personer bestemte karaktertrekk som gjør dem mer sårbare for avhengighet og misbruk? Er avhengighet et symptom eller et uttrykk for psykologiske vanskeligheter? Skal det forstås som en destruktiv mestringsstrategi for å takle emosjonelle konflikter? Spørsmålene er mange, og svarene spriker i like mange retninger. Dette er tema i denne episoden av SinnSyn.For den psykologisk interesserteEr du mer interessert i mennesket indre liv, relasjoner og selvutvikling, håper jeg du klikker deg inn på WebPsykologens bokhandel og sørger for at du får én eller flere av mine bøker i posten i løpet av få dager. Eventuelt kan du klikke deg inn på min Patreon konto og bli supporter av SinnSyn. På den måten støtter du dette prosjektet, og som takk for støtten får du en del ekstramateriale. Du får flere eksklusive episoder av SinnSyn, videomateraiell som ikke publiseres andre steder, og du kan høre meg lese og gjennomgå min første bok, Selvfølelsens Psykologi – Bedre selvfølelse ved å bruke hodet litt annerledes. Ved hjelp av en rekke psykologiske teorier forsøker jeg å lage et slags treningsprogram hvor man gjør øvelser som styrker selvbilde, selvfølelsen og mentale muskler. Er du blant de som finner verdi her på SinnSyn, og litt over middels interessert i psykologi og filosofi, så er medlemskap i SinnSynes mentale helsestudio kanskje noe for deg. Håper å se deg som Patreon-supporter. Du finner medlemskapet på www.patreon.com/sinnsyn.En annen måte å støtte podcasten på, er å kjøpe merchandise fra SinnSyn. Er du en person som liker å tenke litt dypere, og ser på denne typen refleksjon og ettertanke som mental trening, mener jeg at man bør ha treningstøyet i orden. På et nettsted som heter Teespring har jeg min egen butikk hvor du kan få kjøpt SinnSyns kolleksjon av «mentalt treningstøy». Kolleksjonen heter «Alt du tenker og føler er feil», og hvis du skjønner hva det slagordet forsøker å formidle, må du nesten ha en skjorte som reflekterer denne innsikten. Sjekk ut mine T-skjorter og hoodies på Tespring. Linken finner du i showrotes eller på webpsykologen.no. Takk for følge og takk for støtten!KilderAddiction and Recovery Staff (2009, December 10). The Genetics of Addiction. Addictions and Recovery Organization [online]. Hentet fra http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htmAddiction and Recovery Staff (2009, December 10). The Definition of AddictionBrainz Staff (2009). 10 Common Causes of Addiction. Brainz [online]. Hentet fra http://brainz.org/10-common-causes-addiction/Fainsinger, Robin L., Thai, Vincent, Frank, Gary and Fergusson, Jean (2006, November). What’s in a Word? Addiction Versus Dependence in DSM-V. American Journal of Psychiatry [online]. Hentet fra http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/163/11/2014-aHalpern, John M. (2002, October 1). Addiction Is a Disease17-20) Shaffer, Howard J. (2009, March 31). What is Addiction?: A Perspective. Cambridge Health Alliance [online]. Hentet fra http://www.divisiononaddictions.org/html/whatisaddiction.htmLevine, Harry G. (2009, June 23). Review of “The Globalisation Of Addiction: A Study In Poverty Of The Spirit” by Bruce K. Alexander. Harm Reduction Journal [online]. Hentet fra http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2717062/Nelson, Bryce (1983, January 18). THE ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY: COMMON TRAITS ARE FOUND. N ew York Times [online]. Hentet fra http://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/18/science/the-addictive-personality-common-traits-are-found.htmlSchaler, Jeffrey A. (2002, October 1). Addiction is Choice. Psychiatric Times [online]19:10. Hentet fra http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/47476?verify=0WHO Staff (2001). Drug Addiction. World Health Organization [online]. Hentet fra http://www.emro.who.int/mnh/whd/PublicInformation-Part3.htm See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of The Living Experiment, we're talking about “Addiction” — what that phenomenon is all about, and how to address the sometimes-subtle dependencies that may show up in your own life. We address everything from physical and psycho-emotional attachments to food, exercise, emotional drama and social media to entrenched end-of-day drink rituals — even porn. We also help you reflect on the dynamics that can drive your own addictive tendencies, so you can start to shift them in ways that work for you. Episode Highlights: Our all-purpose definition of addiction (3:10) Cool neuroscience — the pharmacy inside your brain (7:00) How the biochemicals associated with stress feed our dependencies (8:35) Figuring out the root causes of addiction, and noticing how our culture helps create them (15:00) The connection between addiction and lack of human connection  (19:50) Breaking the addictive cycle with mindful practices and conscious choices (22:00) The satisfaction problem — why it's hard to get "enough" porn, doughnuts, and social media (28:45) The connection between women's "food" issues and a lack of sensual satisfaction (31:00) How guilt and shame drive self-destructive behaviors (33:10) Shifting our addictive tendencies (37:20) The importance of tracking the outcomes of your choices (39:30) This week's experiments (41:55) Weekly Experiments: Dallas suggests: Why do you do what you do? Identify your addictions. Using our definition of addiction, take a look at your own behaviors. Do they make your life better? Are you doing them even though they're harming you? Pilar suggests: Challenge your daily alcohol ritual, and observe your attachments. If you usually have a drink after work, first sit down with a glass of water and just reflect on how you are presently feeling (body and mind). Then notice how it might feel to do without the wine, beer or cocktail on this particular day. What does the drink represent? What are the feelings that come up when you even consider withholding it? Share the love! Each week we offer you a few life-shifting experiments to try on your own. We'd love to hear how they turn out, and what insights they provoke! Connect with The Living Experiment on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and share your stories with us there. Resources   Bruce K. Alexander's Rat Park addiction studies. The fun and fascinating little animated video Pilar referenced: "Addiction - In a Nutshell"by Kurzgesagt. BJ Fogg's behavior-change work at Stanford University's Persuasive Technology Lab. Judson Brewer's research at Yale on using mindfulness to treat addiction: "You're Already Awesome. Just Get Out of Your Own Way!" TEDx Talk; and his Huffington Post blog. Dallas's blog post, "Porn, Shame, and Doughnuts". Dallas's More Social, Less Media program (helpful for exploring your relationship with technology). Pilar's video interview with Alexandra Jamieson, author of Women, Food, and Desire. The Sipping Point, an article on women and drinking by Gabrielle Glaser from Experience Life Potential Adverse Cardiovascular Effects of Excessive Endurance Exercise via Mayo Clinic Proceedings. PLUS … Sign up for our newsletterso you can stay up to date with us and get notified when a new episode is available. Subscribe to The Living Experiment on iTunes so you automatically get new episodes when they come out. Sponsor link: Check out Brian Johnson's “Habits 101” Master Class for FREE.

A therapist I once worked with said it best: Abandonment is the gap between what you need and what you get. Abandonment arouses the primal fear of infancy and childhood, that of being left alone to fend for ourselves. This kind of wound is cumulative: every loss, betrayal, disappointment, rejection (perceived or real), break-up or death can trigger the primal Abandonment Wound. Rather than dissipate, feelings incubate. Everybody has an Abandonment Wound. The issue is not whether or not it exists within us, it's how well we're coping with it. In 2014, I delivered a lecture at the Canadian Association of Clinical Hypnotherapists Conference called, "Healing The Abandonment Wound: A Five Step Process". This is a special Numinous Podcast three-part mini-series that expands on that lecture with additional readings, resources and thoughts about how this work has evolved in the three years I've spent focussing the client work in my hypnotherapy practice in this area. Resources cited in this episode include: The Roots of Addiction in Free Market Society, by Bruce K. Alexander Rat Park, by Bruce K. Alexander and the comic it inspired by Stuart McMillen (not mentioned in this episode but equally entertaining work describing Rat Park is the video, "Everything We Know About Addiction Is Wrong") In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction, by Dr. Gabor Maté The Journey From Abandonment To Healing, by Susan Anderson You can explore this work with me further at: www.carmenspagnola.com/abandonment-therapy/

Did you know... North American governments Spend over 51 BILLION dollars a year on the War on Drugs? Yet these same governments do very little to treat addiction and the "poverty of the spirit" that engenders this addiction. Dr. Bruce K. Alexander is a Canadian psychologist who believes  that society is drowning in addictions, to alchohol, drug use and a thousand other habits. He maintains the reason for this is a growing disconnect as people around are torn from the close ties to family, culture, and traditional spirituality.  Alexendar says this rift and lack of social integration has destroyed what used to constitute the normal fabric of societal life. For many, addiction serves as a substitute for the connectedness for which they long and which provides context and meaning for their lives. Alexander believes because societal determinants are so much more powerful that individual ones, that addiction is much more a social problem than an individual disorder.  This is why he feels that the War on Drugs is so  wrong-headed. Alexander's book,  The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit presents a new look at the nature of addiction, how society should view addicts, and more effective treatments for addiction. Bruce Alexander is a psychologist and Professor Emeritus at Simon Fraser University, where he has worked since 1970. His primary research interest has been the psychology of addiction. He is best known in the UK for the "Rat Park" experiments, which helped to demonstrate the falsity of the outworn belief that simple exposure to narcotic drugs can cause addiction.