Zeitschrift für Suchtverhalten, Therapie und Rehabilitation

Addictions and Medicalization of Social Conditions: Context and Paths of Reflexion

Amnon Jacob Suissa

Addictions and Medicalization of Social Conditions: Context and Paths of Reflexion

In the psychosocial management of addictions, different social control modalities coexist. We can think of the penal, therapeutic, medical and “laissez-faire” perspectives. The current redefinition of the addiction concept reveals that no single explanation can validate diverse addiction conditions; a multifactorial approach is necessary to grasp the complexity of this phenomenon: addiction to psychotropic substances, love, the Internet, cosmetic surgery, groups, shopping, work, etc. In dealing with the hurried society and performance at any cost, how can we explain the growing tendency to medicalize social conditions and the explosion of categories? To what extent does contemporary society generate conditions where a person feels less and less capable of keeping up with the social and institutional pace? The author suggests analyzing individual and social control markers and shedding light on the central issue of social ties. Finally, the author illustrates how, for example, the 12-step philosophy contributes directly to the labeling and socializing of pathologies instead of focusing on the hidden strengths of people and their families and social networks.