Editing Alfred Adler (section)

=== On addiction ===
Adler's insight into birth order, compensation and issues relating to the individuals' perception of community also led him to investigate the causes and treatment of [[substance abuse]] disorders, particularly [[alcoholism]] and [[morphinism]], which already were serious social problems of his time. Adler's work with addicts was significant since most other prominent proponents of psychoanalysis invested relatively little time and thought into these widespread ills of the modern and post-modern age. In addition to applying his [[individual psychology]] approach of organ inferiority, for example, to the onset and causes of addictive behaviors, he also tried to find a clear relationship of drug cravings to sexual gratification or their substitutions. Early pharmaco-therapeutic interventions with non-addictive substances, such as [[theophylline|neuphyllin]] were used, since withdrawal symptoms were explained by a form of "water-poisoning" that made the use of diuretics necessary.

Adler and his wife's pragmatic approach, and the seemingly high success rates of their treatment were based on their ideas of social functioning and well-being. Clearly, life style choices and situations were emphasized, for example the need for relaxation or the negative effects of early childhood conflicts were examined, which compared to other authoritarian or religious treatment regimens, were clearly modern approaches. Certainly some of his observations, for example that psychopaths were more likely to be drug addicts are not compatible with current methodologies and theories of substance abuse treatment, but the self-centered attributes of the illness and the clear escapism from social responsibilities by pathological addicts put Adler's treatment modalities clearly into a modern contextual reasoning.<ref>Adler, A. (1932). [https://books.google.com/books?id=f5YwkF5LM8MC&pg=PA62&q=narcotic%20abuse%20and%20alcohilism Narcotic Abuse and Alcoholism], Chapter VII. p. 50-65. The Collected Clinical Works of Alfred Adler: Journal articles: 1931–1937. Transl. by G.L.Liebenau. T.Stein (2005). {{ISBN|0-9715645-8-2}}.</ref>