Nina’s Notes Podcast

#130: 🎙️ INTERVIEW | Understanding Addiction with Dr. Carl Erik Fisher, Author of The Urge: Our History of Addiction

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#130: 🎙️ INTERVIEW | Understanding Addiction with Dr. Carl Erik Fisher, Author of The Urge: Our History of Addiction

Discussion the the Complex Nature and History of Addiction

Nina Patrick

Apr 30, 2025

Transcript

Hey friends,

I’m giving a talk tonight at a beach party 🎉

This isn’t just a party, it’s an invitation to reconnect with your happiest self through music, movement, and a touch of science. 🌈✨

My talk unpacks “The Pursuit of Happiness” through the lens of biochemistry and neuroscience, revealing how dance floors, gatherings, connection, and friendships drive our brain’s joy systems. 🧠

Set by the beach, kissed by sunlight, and carried into starlight, this edition of Shugi Nights is all about ALEGRIA - happiness.

Details:

🗓 Wednesday 30 April | 🕔 17h–02h

📍 AURA — Estr. da Praia do Infante, Costa da Caparica

🎶 LINEUP | IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE | 17h-02h

⁠UDI FAGUNDES – Live on the beach under the sun 🌅
⁠⁠DR. NINA PATRICK – Talks about “The Pursuit of Happiness” 🧠
⁠MIGUEL DOMINGOS – Bringing fire to the floor 🔥
⁠WAMANZI – DJ set to awaken your soul 🌊
⁠SHUGI – Closing with a hybrid live/DJ set 💫

Grab your ticket here.

INTERVIEW | Understanding Addiction with Dr. Carl Erik Fisher, Author of The Urge: Our History of Addiction

In this week’s episode of the Nina’s Notes Podcast, I host a remarkable guest whose work explores the complex terrain of addiction, mental health, and human behavior.

Dr. Carl Erik Fisher is an addiction physician, bioethicist, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University. His unique perspective combines rigorous medical training with personal lived experience, deep philosophical inquiry, and a profound compassion for those struggling with addiction and mental health challenges.

Dr. Fisher is the author of the acclaimed book The Urge: Our History of Addiction, which examines addiction through historical, cultural, and scientific lenses. In addition to the deep historical research in the book, Dr. Fisher openly shares his own journey with addiction, bringing an invaluable layer of authenticity and insight to his work. The Urge was named one of the best books of the year by both The New Yorker and The Boston Globe.

His writing has appeared in prestigious publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Slate and Scientific American MIND, where he brings complex medical and ethical concepts to broader public understanding. He also writes the

Rat Park with Carl Erik Fisher

Substack.

As the host of the podcast "Flourishing After Addiction," he explores addiction and recovery from science to spirituality, from philosophy to politics, and everything in between. He interviews leading experts in areas such as psychology, neurobiology, history, sociology, and more--as well as policy makers, advocates, and people with lived experience.

In our conversation, we discuss the history of addiction and explore how the traditional view of addiction as simply either choice or compulsion fails to capture its true complexity.

We discuss addiction beyond substances to include behavioral addiction and address the stigma that surrounds these conditions, and Dr. Fisher offers insights that combine scientific evidence with compassionate approaches to healing.

Listen to the episode on 🟢 Spotify, 🟣 Apple Podcasts, 🟠 Substack Podcasts.

Key Takeaways:

Addiction treatment is often not well covered in medical training.
The dichotomy of choice and compulsion in addiction is oversimplified.
Addiction should be viewed as a process of diminished control.
Cultural influences play a significant role in shaping addiction perceptions.
The environment significantly impacts addiction recovery.
The traditional definition of addiction needs to evolve to include behavioral aspects.
Genetics play a role in addiction but are not the sole factor.
Stigma around addiction affects treatment access and perceptions.
Different individuals require different pathways to recovery.