Substance addiction is a disease that can affect anyone, regardless of their intelligence or success. Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than the number of influential academics who have struggled with drug and alcohol use over many decades:
Sigmund Freud, the Austrian neurologist credited as the founder of psychoanalysis, was addicted to cocaine and even promoted its use as an anesthetic, a cure for morphine addiction, and a way to treat depression and migraines.
William Stewart Halsted, the first surgeon to ever perform a mastectomy and a pioneer in the treatment of breast cancer, was addicted to morphine.
Paul Erdös, one of the most prolific mathematicians of the 20th century, credited his productivity to methamphetamine use.
Additionally, both Edgar Allen Poe and Ernest Hemmingway are believed to have suffered from alcohol abuse or addiction and Charles Dickens was a regular opium user.
Research suggests that people with higher intelligence scores were actually more likely to suffer from substance addiction than those with average or lower scores and drug use can be rampant among both students and professors in the field of higher education. If you think that you or someone you love may be struggling with a substance addiction, it is important to seek professional help at the earliest opportunity.
The Asana Recovery Center offers a comprehensive detoxification and residential treatment program in a supportive, relaxing, and inspiring environment. Call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more about our drug and alcohol addiction treatment program today.
