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Addiction 'News & Notes' takes an in-depth look at addiction and its many forms through feature reports and roundtable conversations.

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Analyzing Addiction As Depicted In The Media

September 25, 2008 • From the silver screen to reality TV, stories of substance abuse are presented as drama, tragedy, and even comedy. News & Notes brings its month-long series on addiction to a close with a look at how pop culture depicts dependency.

Hooked On Love: Developing An Addiction To Sex

September 19, 2008 • As our series on addiction continues, we focus on sex and love dependencies. There's still a lot of skepticism surrounding whether or not people can be addicted to love. But Farai Chideya gets insight from two authors who specialize in the topic.

Battling Back From A Food Addiction

September 18, 2008 • Our series on addiction continues with a look at one woman's struggles with compulsive overeating. Farai Chideya speaks with Libby Bier — a food addiction counselor at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery — and "Vic," a recovering food addict.

From Overeating To A Full Blown Food Addiction

September 18, 2008 • Many of us over-indulge from time to time — a bag of cookies after a long hard day at work or an extra-helping of pasta or chicken. But when do we cross the line from occasional overeating to a food addiction?

What Makes Drug Detox Programs Work?

September 12, 2008 • News & Notes' month-long series on addiction continues: Once someone agrees to go into substance abuse treatment, the critical process of drug detox begins. Farai Chideya takes a closer look at the process of detoxification.

Battling Back When Addiction Affects The Family

September 11, 2008 • Sometimes addiction is easy to spot. But if it happens in your family, what do you do? When and how should you step in? For more, Farai Chideya talks with a specialist and two people whose lives were touched by addiction.

Struggling With Mental Illness, Drug Dependency

August 22, 2008 • Some who deal with a drug addiction also face the challenges of a mental illness. What if drug use is masking or exaggerating depression, schizophrenia, or a bi-polar disorder? For insight, Farai Chideya talks with a recovering addict and a treatment specialist.

An Inside Look At Teens Battling Substance Abuse

August 21, 2008 • By the eighth grade, 52 percent of adolescents have consumed alcohol, and 20 percent have used marijuana — according to the non-profit group, Partnership for a Drug Free America. But what factors lead teens to addiction? For more, Farai Chideya speaks with a recovering teen addict and an addiction specialist.

Fighting Addiction With Help From A Higher Power

August 15, 2008 • Many twelve-step addiction programs, like Alcoholics Anonymous, champion the idea of relying on a higher power for help with kicking the habit. What is the connection between faith and recovery? We take a look at spirituality and addiction.

When A High Tech Habit Becomes Unhealthy

August 14, 2008 • When does checking your e-mail or surfing the Web become an addiction? And do video games encourage addictive relationships to technology? Farai Chideya talks with Hilarie Cash, co-founder of Internet-Computer Addiction Services.

Falling Prey To Online Fantasy Worlds

August 14, 2008 • For some people, online games can become an addictive world of fantasy. For others, it can be a world of isolation and addiction. Farai Chideya talks with Liz Woolley, whose son, Shawn, suffered a deadly addiction to online fantasy worlds.

Functioning Addicts Managing Hidden Compulsions

August 8, 2008 • Many addicts manage to function everyday without others knowing about it. But how do they do it? NPR's Tony Cox talks with Ed Storti, a certified alcohol and drug counselor and intervention specialist.

A Personal Story Of A Hidden Addiction

August 8, 2008 • He had a college degree, a family ... and a secret drug habit. Don W. shares his personal story of recovery with NPR's Tony Cox. Years of drug and alcohol abuse left Don unemployed and on the streets. He finally sought help for his disease and has now been sober for 13 years.

What Triggers Addiction? How Can It Be Broken?

August 7, 2008 • When does a little excess turn into an addiction? Our series continues with a look at the psychology of addiction. What are the signs of an addictive personality? And how can the cycle of compulsive behavior be broken? NPR's Tony Cox speaks with two experts.

When Shopping, Spending Spirals Into Addiction

August 7, 2008 • For more insight into addictive personalities, NPR's Tony Cox speaks with Lisa P., a recovering compulsive spender and shoplifter. She shares her struggles and explains how she was able to break her addiction.

Defining Addiction And Its Many Forms

August 1, 2008 • Whether it's drugs, shopping, or gambling, addiction can take control your life. Today, we kick off our month-long series about addiction. Farai Chideya speaks with Dr. Tim Fong — co-director of University of California Los Angeles' gambling studies program — and Dr. Jon Grant, associate professor of psychiatry at University of Minnesota.

Battling Back From A Gambling Addiction

August 1, 2008 • Jonny W. says he lost almost everything to a gambling addiction — his wife, his money, and the life he once knew. He shares with Farai Chideya his personal story of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in casinos and starting over in recovery.

Critics Say Chauvin Defense 'Weaponized' Stigma For Black Americans With Addiction

A person holds up a portrait of George Floyd as people gather outside the Hennepin County Government Center on April 9 in Minneapolis Stephen Maturen/Getty Images hide caption

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Critics Say Chauvin Defense 'Weaponized' Stigma For Black Americans With Addiction

April 16, 2021 • Derek Chauvin's defense has suggested George Floyd's drug use might have made him more "volatile" and unpredictable, justifying the use of force. Critics say Floyd needed health care and compassion.

Critics Say Chauvin Defense 'Weaponized' Stigma For Black Americans With Addiction

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