About this episode

Dr. David Epstein discusses various theories of addiction and the relationship between substance use and boredom.

Theories of addiction abound: various choice models and brain disease models, all trying to explain why people use substances in ways that appear to harm them. Theories are often pitted against one another. But does this always have to be the case? In this episode, Dr. David Epstein discusses problems that arise from theories using their own definitions for addiction, and ways in which considering various etiological pathways may help us better understand and treat the heterogenous presentations of addictive behavior. Dr. Epstein also enlightens us with a conversation about the association between substance use and boredom. Dr. David Epstein is the Chief of the Real-World Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment Section at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program. Find out more about his work here .

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