November 2010 - The Clean Slate Addiction Site

Portugal’s Drug Decriminalization Seems To Be Working

A new study examines the state of addiction in Portugal, and whether their massive decriminalization of drugs in 2001 has helped or hurt. Maia Szalavitz (one of the best reporters covering addiction news) examines the study in her latest article for Time Magazine which you can read at this link. Here’s an excerpt: For example,… Continue reading Portugal’s Drug Decriminalization Seems To Be Working

The Plight of the Individual Mind in the Recovery Culture

The death of the individual spirit that happens in “recovery” is truly the death of choice. This post is the first in a series that will examine the importance of true individuality in making a lasting change of a substance abuse habit.

Jack Armstrong – Eagle Surrounded by Turkeys

We’re all capable of making better choices, but it’s hard to do that when a drug court is using coercion to brainwash you into powerlessness.

Attitude Is Everything – Recovering vs Recovered

Believing in lifelong recovery is setting yourself up for failure. Some people believe you can become permanently recovered from addiction.

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Addiction Is Not A Brain Disease. Logic, neuroscience, epidemiology, and social psychology all demonstrate this.

This site is dedicated to presenting a different view of addiction: That it is all about choice, and that you can permanently change your substance use habits without fear of relapse or a lifetime spent in meetings and treatment.

Some of you might be wondering whether I know about all the scientific proof that addiction is a brain disease. I'm well aware of the scientific facts and their misinterpretation. Here's my critical analysis of the brain disease model of addiction.

This site is not presenting a model of "recovery" because addiction is not a disease from which one can recover. It is freely chosen behavior, which anyone can freely choose to abandon at any point. This is not recovery from a disease, it is a change like any other change in day to day living that people make in their lives.

I am dedicated to presenting information about addiction from a non-disease perspective, so that people can learn how to feel free and in control of their substance use, and be empowered to change it to whatever degree will make them happiest in their lives. "Addiction is a choice" - that is, you can choose whether to hold or dismiss every thought and belief that motivates you to use substances heavily - and thus you can choose whether to continue any pattern of substance use or not - at will.

Reading any particular article on this website will not force you to change. Hopefully though, you will find some information that helps you to believe that change is possible for you - that it is within reach. This is one key ingredient in changing the mindset that fuels "addiction."