Sociobiology and Addiction RecoverySociobiology and Informal Social Controls of Drinking Findings...

SOCIOBIOLOGY AND ADDICTION RECOVERY

Marc Galanter, M.D.

Professor of Psychiatry

New York University School of Medicine

No Disclosures

RELATED RESEARCH

First Steps

Four books:

• Cults

• Network Therapy

• Spirituality

• Alcoholics Anonymous

Left Right

TPO-J Semantic

control of

emotion

SPL dl-PFC

goal

maintenance

and

attention

Prayer

Regulates the acquired emotional

response by exercising a reappraisal of

the emotional response to triggers by

activating areas for:

(a)regulation of attention

(b)Semantic control of emotion

CONCLUSIONS

1. Biologic entities exist at different levels of integration – from neural structure to

social systems.

2. Addiction and recovery can, as well, be understood from multiple levels of

integration: physiologic, bio-behavioral, and interpersonal.

3. In approaching addiction treatment, we need to appreciate how biologically

grounded change can be mediated on these respective levels.

4. Family networks and Twelve Step groups are therefore examples of biologically

grounded approaches for remediation of addiction.