Episode
What is it like to be an Addict? - A Conversation with Owen Flanagan
- Podcast
- Beyond Binge Eating
- Published
- Aug 7, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2680
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- http://www.BeyondBingeEating.com
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Summary
In this episode, I am joined with my guest co-host Vanessa Kredler. We sit down with Dr. Owen Flanagan—renowned philosopher at Duke University and author of What Is It Like to Be an Addict—to explore the complex, lived experience of addiction and why the description of addiction as just a brain disease can fall short. Here’s what we cover in the episode: • Why addiction is more than just a brain disease—and how neuroscience can oversimplify a deeply human struggle • What craving actually feels like from the inside—and why it’s not just about “willpower” • How lifestyle, trauma, and culture shape addiction in ways medication alone can’t touch • The parallels between substance addiction and food addiction—especially around compulsions and loss of control • Why different people respond differently to the same substance—and what that means for treatment • What philosophy can teach us about shame, identity, and the desire to live well Owen’s perspective blends science, story, and philosophy into a compassionate, thought-provoking conversation. Whether you’ve experienced addiction firsthand, work with people in recovery, or are simply trying to understand it better—this episode will leave you with insights you won’t forget. 00:00 – Intro 02:36 – How Do You Understand Craving as a Felt Experience? 03:05 – Owen’s Personal Experience With Addiction 06:01 – Where Craving Happens: Before, During, and After Use 08:08 – Craving vs Compulsion 09:10 – Conscious and Unconscious Desires 10:41 – The Complexity of Food Addiction vs Substance Addiction 13:22 – Binge Drinking and the DSM: What's Missing? 14:41 – Why One-Size-Fits-All Addiction Treatment Doesn’t Work 16:45 – Critique of “Addiction is a Brain Disease” Model 21:03 – How Brain Science Can Help—or Limit—Understanding 24:43 – Co…