A lot has been said, and will continue to be, about America’s drug epidemic. Illegal drugs in America have ruined millions of lives, and caused billions in damages, but the subject of addiction continues to be very poorly understood overall. In recent years, many prominent public speakers have arisen who speak about drugs, addiction, and the war on drugs in America; they address official strategies, long-term consequences, the nature of addiction itself, and how the problem might best be confronted in the future.
The Power of Vulnerability
Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, presents The Power of Vulnerability. Rene’s presentation, delivered with an engaging “storyteller” style, draws upon recent research into the psychology behind addiction to connect the dots between contributing factors. Her work focuses on the roles played by vulnerability, shame, and the fear of becoming disconnected from other people as motivating factors behind the birth of addiction, which funnels additional money into the pockets of illegal drug producers.
Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong
This presentation, by award-winning journalist Johann Hari, covers the nature of that which fuels the drug epidemic in America to begin with: the needs of addicts. In his TED talk, Johann addresses the underlying nature of addiction, which was the subject of an intensive research study. He also directly addresses related issues, such as the stigma of addiction in western society, and its generally poorly-understood nature, even among professionals in the healthcare industry.
The Surprising Science of Happiness
It is now widely understood that happiness within one’s life is one of the best ways to head off the problem of addiction, but how exactly does one go about “achieving happiness” in an organized and outlined fashion? Harvard psychologist Dand Gilbert discusses the science behind happiness in his TED talk, which addresses such fundamental underlying issues as what we think will make us happy versus what actually will. The core idea is the synthesis of happiness, versus its popular regard as something akin to an object to be found.
How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime
Most children go through difficult and challenging times as they grow and develop; trauma is something more than that. It is an experience which overwhelms a person’s ability to cope so thoroughly that a part of them shuts down, in order to prevent further damage being done. Nadine Burke Harris is a pediatrician, whose practice focuses on the treatment of childhood trauma which can profoundly affect adult-onset conditions. Her TED talk covers the ways in which this can occur, affecting everything from heart disease to substance abuse — and a wide variety of other addiction-prone behaviors.
The Art of Choosing
Sheena Iyengar is a leading expert in the specialized discipline of psycho-economics. In one of her TED presentations, she covers the issues faced with complete freedom of choice, and why it isn’t always the explicit road to happiness that some cultures make it out to be. In the process, she explains how culture and society influence the choices that we make, oftentimes while presenting the illusion of free choice. She addresses constructive strategies for making choices, when faced with an overabundance of apparent options, that will lead to one’s own personal satisfaction.
Additional Information
There are many more TED Talks available on the subject of America’s drug epidemic, as well as on drugs and addiction in general, and other subjects relevant to the topic. Visit the TED Talks website for more information; in particular, New York Times bestselling author Johann Hari has made an intensive three-year study on America’s war on drugs, as well as addressing the overall nature of addiction.
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