1st Edition

The Hand of Addiction A Transcontextual and Autoethnographic Becoming

By Weston Robins Copyright 2025
136 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

136 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

136 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

The Hand of Addiction maps out addiction from an innovative and holistic perspective, challenging the pervasive discourses surrounding addiction in many fields. Using the metaphor of a hand, the author examines addiction through five conceptual lenses—biomedical, psychological, sociocultural, developmental, and spiritual. The book successfully integrates Gregory Bateson’s understanding of the... Read more

List of Figures
List of Tables
Series Preface
Acknowledgments

01. Introduction
My Project

02. Biological—The Thumb
Hi, My Name is Wes, and I Am Infinite Possibility
History
Present Day

03. Psychological— The Index Finger
My Psyche, My Soul, My Breathe, My Psychology: ME
Early Psychoanalytic Approaches to Understanding Addiction

04. Sociocultural—The Middle Finger
Addiction: Language Matters
Cultural and Societal Impact
Earliest Usage of Psychoactive Substances
Western Prohibition and Legislation: A Brief History
The Real War on Drugs/Just Say No
Rat Park and Vietnam
Psychosocial Integration and Disintegration
Control Societies
Breeding Grounds of Addiction/Becoming Free

05. Developmental—The Ring Finger
Developmental Psychology and Understanding Youth
The Work/To Be Fully Seen
The Perfect Storm: Impulsivity, Risk-Taking, and Sensation-Seeking
Really Live This One Moment
The Dark Side of Sensation-Seeking (Unwielded Energy)
Becoming–Child
Be Cautious Where You Set Up Camp: Ecological Mind Traversing

06. Spiritual—The Pinky Figer
Addiction and Spirituality: A Brief History
Spinoza and Immanence
Addiction and Spirituality
My First Taste of the Divine
Defining God
Stones Rule/Music Saved My Soul
Live at Slane Castle/Perceiving the Plane of Immanence Once Again
Immanent Truth
You Never Wore the Necklace, it was Your Heart and Soul

07. Playing Jazz
The Pattern That Connects

08. Working With Addiction
Addiction Treatment Field
Everyone is an Addict
Understanding the Human First and Addiction Second
Transmuting Your Pain Into Alchemical Gold
Understanding Your Complexity

References

Biography

Weston Robins is President and Founder of Eternal Strength Center for Radical Youth Work. He obtained his PhD in Psychology from the University of West Georgia in 2022. He is currently working in the fields of youth work studies, addiction studies, and broad-based critical psychologies as a researcher, teacher, and clinical practitioner.