Episode 104 The Top 10 Ways Addiction Enslaves The Creative Brain
Addiction affects the old and the young, the poor and wealthy. But why the smart? Why can’t creative people just…out-think their addiction?
Addiction comes in many, many flavors. Sugar. Fatty foods. Phone apps. Gambling. Sex addiction. Then there are the two addictions we focus on most in America - drugs and alcohol. Why is it that we put drug addiction, of all the vices, at the top of our list of jailable offenses? And why is alcohol socially acceptable when it does so much damage to our health? Why is it so hard for addicts to quit once they’ve wired themselves to receive certain triggers? And how does being a creative thinker make it nearly impossible to drop a habit?
On this episode we’ll also talk about the scandal of the late ‘70s. The murder of Bob Crane, the charistmatic star of Hogan’s Heroes. Unlike true crime podcasts, we’ll take a look at Bob Crane’s death from the perspective of the addict. By exploring how Bob Crane’s addiction escalated, and why creativity and intelligence made it easier for him to get his fix and hide his double life. We also discuss shame in addiction, and why community and connection are the best ways to save an addict, as opposed to jail time and ostracism. This, according to a fascinating study about rats conducted in the 1970’s.
History Links:
https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123829&page=1
https://ew.com/tv/2019/08/26/bob-crane-hogans-heroes-unsolved-murder/
Science Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awAMTQZmvPE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUMa0QkPzns