Captive imagination

Elias Dakwar

What causes addiction, and how do we treat it? Today it is primarily understood as a brain disease, but in this bold vision of addiction, pioneering psychiatrist Elias Dakwar argues that this is not the case. Among other things, he fails to explain why many people can enjoy drugs without becoming addicted. Despite decades of neuroscientific research, we are still no closer to truly understanding the nature of addiction, nor to treating it effectively. In *Captive Imagination*, Dakwar argues that addiction is an existential challenge, requiring a multidisciplinary philosophical approach, as well as a perspective that enables us to better understand ourselves. Addiction stems from our desire for happiness: whether we are addicted or not, we all struggle with meaninglessness and resort to false solutions to our despair. Dakwar also shows how our individual capacity for self-deception is linked to our collective, self-imposed crises, from environmental destruction to social injustice. Drawing on his patients' vivid stories, groundbreaking research, and decades of clinical experience, his book, Captive Imagination, offers a new framework for understanding and overcoming addiction, as well as human suffering in general.