From: th@isr.harvard.edu (Todd Heatherton)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology
Subject: Re: Instant Addictions
Date: 23 Jul 92 14:06:04 GMT
Distribution: sci.psychology
Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

In article <MCCLA_D.92Jul22223246@offa.cs.odu.edu> mccla_d@offa.cs.odu.edu (dennis mcclain-furmanski) writes:
>th@isr.harvard.edu says:
>
>[regarding my previous contention that addictions os out of the realm of
>behaviorism]
>
>> You are so wrong it is scary.
>
>If I'm so wrong, so is the treatment center I work for. And if that's the case
>then the founder and head of treatment of the largest treatement center in the
>world, in Moscow, wasted all that time and money coming here to find out why
>we're so good. And she's even more wrong for planning to put what she learned 
>into use. 
>
>If I'm wrong, why did the Sorbells (?) take their aversion therapy research
>to Canada, for the skiing? They were forced out of their position here in the
>US.
>

First of all, the Sobell's did not rely completely on aversion therapy.
They used different behavior mod principles.  Their work all through
the 70s anad 80s was focused on very different aspects of alcohol than
on whether aversion therapy worked.  Second, they are at  
the Addiction Research Foundation, one of the world's leading addiction
centers. They went there before the controversy over controlled
drinking (i.e., your contention that they were chased out of the
USA shows you know nothing about the history of alcohol treatment;
the Sobell's are still considered leading experts in issues related
to alcoholism).  Third, the issue of controlled drinking has now been
examined in well over 100 studies, with general support for the
findings that some individuals can return to moderate drinking
without abstinance.

I could easily believe that your treatment center is wrong...but,
that's another matter.

I guess I am reluctant to get entered into a long drawn out debate
on this topic.  I do feel that I am qualified to comment on
your points.  I teach two graduate courses on the topic, I have 
published numerous articles in addictions journals (although
not on the topic of alcohol..but on smoking, eating, etc.).  I am
on the Board of Consulting Editors for Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 
which is published by a division of APA, and I've reviewed for many
of the addictions journals. Thus, I believe I am up to date on 
much of the research that goes on in this area.  I also know that
there is plenty of flaky psuedo-scientific nonsense going on.....  

I do apologize if my comments were too caustic, but I just plain
don't believe you.  If someone from Moscow wants to use your
method, so be it.  I hope it works for them.  Since I know very
little about your program except for the postings you have made
here, I would feel uncomfortable concluding anything about it.
If you truly represent the theoretical, philosophical, and
therapeutic interests of your firm, the I guess I am doubtful
about your program.  

For those who would like to read on this topic, see 

Sobell, L.C. (1991).  Natural recovery from alcohol problems.  In N.
Heather, W.R. Miller, & J. Greeley (Eds.), Self-control and the addictive
behaviors.  Sydney:  Pergamon Press.

Peele, S. (1989).  Diseasing of America.  Lexington:  D.C. Heath.

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational interviewing: Preparing
people to change addictive behavior. New York: Guilford Press.

Prochaska, J.O., & DiClemente, C.C. (1984).  The transtheoretical approach:
Crossing traditional boundaries of change.  Homewood, IL:  Dow Jones/Irwin,
Inc.

Prochaska, J.O., & DiClemente, C.C. (1986).  Toward a comprehensive model
of change.  In W. Miller and N. Heather (Eds.), Treating addictive
behaviors:  Processes of Change (pp. 3-27). New York:  Plenum.

Stall, R., & Biernacki, P. (1986). Spontaneous remission from the
problematic use of substances:  An inductive model derived from a
comparative analysis of the alcohol, opiate, tobacco, and food/obesity
literatures.  International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 1-23.


or see recent issues of any major addictions journal.
  

I fully acknowledge the importance of neurotransmitters systems
to addictive processes (I have to, my wife is a neuroscientist :-),
but the instant addiction that you describe goes beyond anything
that seems reasonable.

This will be my last posting on this topic.  Further comments
through email only.

Todd Heatherton
Dept. of Psychology
Harvard Univ.
Cambridge, MA 02138.