Robert Fettgather has taught at San Jose State University, National University and Mission College in Santa Clara. In addition, Robert Fettgather has addressed State and National Conferences on a variety of topics. The Transactional Analysis Journal, Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, and Lifelong Learningjave have published Robert Fettgather's articles on a variety of topics.
What makes some people abuse and become addicted to drugs, while others do not seem to develop a long term problem? As we seek out answers, our first stop is "Rat Park". Researcher Bruce Alexander designed an experiment showing that rats in bare cages were more likely to consume drugs excessively than rats in enriched environments-Rat parks. More recent research by Dr. Marco Venniro also supports the view that social environments have a strong relationship to addiction.
Looking beyond the addictive properties of chemicals, Alexander's experiment emphasized environmental factors. Psychiatrist Gabor Matte also underscores the importance of environmental antecedents to addiction. Specifically, Matte cites the "brokenness of the human spirit" through trauma in understanding substance abuse.
Both Matte and Alexander believe that the environment is more influential than either genetics or perhaps even the addictive properties of drugs in predicting addiction. Their work suggests that improved environments, as well as reducing poverty and childhood trauma/stress might make for fewer addiction problems in our society.
Reflection Point: Since early intervention reduces later drug abuse, how might we champion early intervention programs?
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