The Urge

As humans have struggled to define, treat, and control addictive behaviour, stigma and controversy have been the only constants. The author draws on his own experience as both a psychiatrist of addiction and a recovering alcoholic as he traces the history of an old phenomenon hard to define or responsibly address. He covers a history that probes not only medicine and science but also policy, literature, religion, and sociology. This volume illuminates the extent to which the story of addiction has persistently reflected broader questions of what it means to be human and to take care of one another. Fisher introduces the physicians, activists, politicians, researchers, and writers who have struggled to understand and solve this complex condition. He also examines the treatments and strategies that have produced positive results for many addicts--himself included--lighting the way forward for those whose lives addiction threatens to destroy.

Named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker and The Boston Globe