Prescribed Reading – The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business by Dr. David Courtwright

In his new book, “The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business,” Dr. David Courtwright explores the history of addiction and vice. Expanding beyond alcohol and drug addiction, he introduces the reader to the concept of “limbic capitalism,” a phrase he coined to describe the process by which big business targets the portion of the brain that is responsible for feeling, motivation and long-term memory. He also discusses the similarities between substance and behavioral addictions, which produce similar brain changes, similar patterns of tolerance and similar experiences of craving, intoxication and withdrawal. Read this book to find out what alcohol and drug addictions have in common with addictions to food, porn and gaming!