"An authoritative, illuminating and deeply humane history of addiction--by a therapist who has reached the depths of addiction himself. Even in the midst of a period of staggering drug abuse that we can confidently call a crisis, questions about the fundamental nature of addiction, its origins, and its ideal treatments abound. This absence of consensus is the latest plotted point on a centuries-old historical arc: as humans have struggled to define, treat, and control addictive behavior, stigma and controversy have been the only constants. With uncommon empathy and erudition, Carl Erik Fisher draws on his own experience as both a psychiatrist of addiction and a recovering alcoholic as he traces the history of a phenomenon that, centuries on, we hardly appear closer to defining--let alone addressing responsibly. A rich, sweeping history that probes not only medicine and science but also policy, literature, religion, and sociology, The Urge illuminates the extent to which the story of addiction has persistently reflected broader questions of what it means to be human and to take care of one another. Fisher introduces us to the physicians, activists, politicians, researchers, and writers who have struggled to understand and solve this complex condition. He also examines the treatments and strategies that have produced positive results for many addicts--himself included--lighting the way forward for those whose lives addiction threatens to destroy. The Urge is at once an eye-opening history of ideas, a riveting personal story of addiction and recovery, and a clinician's impassioned call for a more expansive, nuanced view of one of society's most intractable challenges."-- Provided by publisher.