Sally L. Satel

Sally L. Satel argues in the following viewpoint that the biological component of addiction is exaggerated. She maintains that addiction is not a brain disease over which addicts have no control. Although the impact of addictive drugs on the brain makes it difficult for addicts to quit, treatment can help addicts fight cravings and take responsibility for their own behavior. Satel is a psychiatrist who works in a clinic that administers methadone to heroin addicts.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What evidence does the author provide to support her claim that addicts have control over their behavior?
2. What comparison does Satel draw between addicts and diabetics or asthmatics?
3. According to the author, what is the best way to combat the stigma of addiction"

From the first installment of Bill Moyers’s widely publicized...