The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences will open its 2023 Impact Talk series with a presentation by lecturer Richard Romaniuk, who will present “Addiction as a False Survival Instinct” Wednesday, March 1, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The lecture will be held in person at the Mandel School’s Noble Commons and livestreamed and recorded for viewing on YouTube.
The Impact Talk series aims to inform the Case Western Reserve University community how careers in social work make a difference in society. The series will consist of four talks by faculty members, who will discuss their specializations.
Mandel School students can receive one professional development hour for each Impact Talk they attend. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
Learn more and register to attend.
About this talk
The biophysics of brain imaging lets us see what people desire and how addiction affects the way humans think. We recognize that hunger, thirst and fear influence the brain structures involved in the overpowering need to satisfy those feelings. There are elements of the survival instinct that take precedence over reason. Drugs of abuse are able to hijack our neuronal system to create a false “survival instinct”. Those people affected by these drugs cannot differentiate their own basic instincts clearly. However, the human brain has many priorities. Learning about how it works can help the chemically dependent break away from addiction and help us to better support our clients.