The Rat Park experiment really changed the way I think about addiction. The various experiments, done by Bruce Alexander and his team, give an interesting perspective on what really causes addiction. The results of the experiment show that isolation is the main cause of drug addiction in rats, which disputes the theory that the chemical in the drug is to blame. I can’t help but agree that the environment plays a crucial role in addiction. The experiment really spurs critical thinking, especially regarding addiction in humans. Are people hooked on potent chemicals within drugs or are they isolated to the point that they must self-medicate to escape isolation? Johann Hari’s article made great points about addiction in humans in relation to isolation or “disconnection.” One example she uses is the story of Vietnam War veterans, who were heavy heroin users during war, but simply stopped using the drug after coming home. The didactic notion behind this story is that a positive change in environment allows addicts to kick their destructive habits more easily. Her article also talks about the idea that bonding is crucial when dealing with, and more importantly, avoiding addiction. It seems a bit scary to think that social bonding is diminishing at a rate where people are turning to different types of addictions, whether it is drugs, gambling, or simply using a smartphone, to replace their void. I’m quickly reminded of the “smartphone fast” assignment where many students struggled to live without their phone. Hari is uncovering a different viewpoint, where society is becoming disconnected within itself, causing an increase in addiction. Yet, the government and big businesses continue to advise society that chemicals are the strong-handed grips that keep addicts wanting more.
I enjoyed reading the take you had on the rat experiment. This article definitely changed the way I perceive addiction as well. Before reading this, I never took into consideration the environment when talking about addiction. I always felt addition dealt with the chemicals in the drug that make the individual dependent on it. Although this may still be true, it's clear how big of an impact the environment plays on addition. I love the last sentence when you describe how the government and big businesses "Continue to advise society that chemicals are the strong-handed grips that keep addicts wanting more." I could not agree more, and I feel society should educate us on the role environment plays in addition.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I appreciate the points that you make about addiction and I have to say that I disagree with the findings of the Rat Park Experiment in general. I believe that the premise itself is flawed in its logic on a number of levels and I would like to elaborate through the example of the Vietnam veteran theory. If these veterans in fact stopped using heroin because they were no longer lonely I would be rather amazed. Take into consideration that these men are in the military. Most of them are in constant contact with their units and members of supporting units regularly. I do not believe that in the military anywhere there is a lack of human contact for long or your sergeant would likely find something for you to do. But I jest, so on a more serious note let us consider that heroin is an opiate which has a tranquilizer effect on its users. The Free Dictionary defines it as “Something that dulls the senses and induces relaxation or torpor.” I submit to you that the men fighting in a horribly bloody war which is in many instances reported as being fought against an enemy who cannot be seen is exponentially stressful to the soldier in the combat zone. The witnessing of your comrades and friends being killed in guerilla combat, whether it be falling into a pit with punji sticks, witnessing a bouncing betty land mine tear off someone’s head, or hearing the screams of a man who has been shot by a sniper that you cannot help because he is being kept alive to draw you out. All of these instances could result in the need to take a chemical that would calm you if not make you feel as if you were elsewhere. Therefore, it is my hypothesis that the soldiers that came home from The Nam were in fact simply no longer in need of a substance that would alter reality.
ReplyDeleteReading about the Rat Park Experiment also gave me a new perspective on drug addiction. I have several family members who have struggled with both drug and alcohol addiction, and it has always been an alien concept to me. I attempt to understand people's motivations for their actions so that I can better understand them as people, and this reading furthered that more for me.
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