Quote: I haven't read the Szasz thing to which you refer. But I think you underestimate the power of psychological addiction. Because the risk/reward cycle of gambling can produce a specific chemical reaction in the brain, it can, for some, be just as addicting as a drug.
Tony, everything produces a "specific chemical reaction in the brain, [that] can, for some, be just as addicting as a drug." Sex, breathing, concerts, dancing, sunshine, skydiving, reading, surfing the internet, porn, exercise, eating chocolate, etc, etc, etc.
This is not the point, and is another red herring. Everything in a human body is some form of chemical reaction. But notice carefully what is happening here: the word "addiction" is reserved for socially unacceptable forms of compulsive behavior. Nobody is trying to outlaw jogging or skydiving, even though those things produce the exact chemical reactions you are referring to. So does participation in some evangelical ceremonies. Once you use the social pejorative "addiction", then you can use this made-up concept to justify intruding in people's lives.
This is a very important point. It is the way that modern society pronounces certain behaviors to be heretical. The medicalization of unattractive behaviors is nearly identical to calling certain behaviors heresy and outlawing them for that reason. The "medical" psychological profession has taken the role of the priesthood in our society. If you look closely and objectively at what is happening here, you will come to this inescapable conclusion. The truth is that humans have changed very little in the last 500 years, but our social context has changed tremendously. We modern westerners don't think we have such a thing as "heresy". Well, of course we do. We just don't call it that, and we rely on pseudo-scientific jargon to lie to ourselves.
Please read Thomas Szasz, I promise you it will change the way you (as a thoughtful, intelligent and rational thinker) view the world.
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