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Addiction As a Brain Disease Revised:

why it still matters, and the need for consilience

About the Course

The article provides an updated perspective on the widely debated view of addiction as a brain disease. The authors, Markus Heilig and colleagues, address the criticisms that have emerged against this view, particularly those claiming it is overly deterministic and neglects the role of environmental and social factors. The article asserts that, while these criticisms have some validity, the foundational premise that addiction has a neurobiological basis remains sound and crucial for the development of effective treatments. The authors argue that dismissing the brain disease model can hinder access to care and treatment for individuals suffering from addiction. They emphasize the need for a multidisciplinary approach that integrates neuroscience with behavioral, clinical, and sociocultural perspectives to fully understand and address addiction.

This course is based on the reading-based online article, Addiction As a Brain Disease Revised: created by Markus Heilig, MD, PhD et al. in 2021.

Publication Date

1st Edition 2/22/2021

Course Material Authors

Course Material Authors authored the material only, and were not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Markus Heilig, MD, PhD

Dr. Heilig is a professor of psychiatry at Linköping University and founding director of a new Center on Social and Affective Neuroscience supported by the Swedish Research Council, Linköping University and the region of Östergötland. His research has in total generated some 230 peer-reviewed journal articles, including papers that have appeared in Science, PNAS, Lancet and other high impact journals, yielding >12000 citations, and an h-index of 60.

James MacKillop, PhD

Dr. MacKilop is a Professor at McMaster University. He is a clinical psychiatrist and behavioral economist who studies addiction. Many of his works have been published in peer reviewed journals.

Course Creator

Allison Brown, LCSW 149014591

Allison Brown holds a BS degree in Criminal Justice with a Psychology focus and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who currently works at a Long-Term Insurance company bringing clinical experience to claim processes. Additionally, she developed and continues to lead the Continuing Education Program for Social Workers and Nurses and often leads complex process improvement projects Prior to this, her primary focus was in mental health and worked in both the outpatient and inpatient settings providing support to adults with mental illness.

Recommended For

Addiction professionals, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for intermediate levels of knowledge.

Course Objectives:

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. Describe the Neurobiological Basis of Addiction.
  2. Evaluate the Criticisms of the Brain Disease Model.
  3. Recognize the Need for Multidisciplinary Approaches in Addiction Research.

Availability

This course is available starting Sep 11th, 2024 and expires Sep 10th, 2034

Disclosure to Learners

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

Exam Questions

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Course Number 103557
1 CE credit hour
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  • Reading-Based Online
Exam Fee $5.97
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