When UFC legend Dustin Poirier was arrested for public intoxication at an airport on Father's Day, the reaction was immediate:

"He has a disease."

But what exactly does that mean?

In this solo episode, Shane dives into one of the most controversial conversations in recovery: the disease model of addiction.

If addiction is a disease, is smoking a disease too?

Why do we send people to rehab for alcohol and drugs, but not cigarettes?

Why do some people lose control of their lives through addiction while others quit cold turkey and never look back?

Drawing from personal experience, current events, and the work of addiction researcher Stanton Peele, Shane explores the tension between personal responsibility, brain science, recovery culture, and human agency.

This isn't an anti-recovery episode. It's a conversation about asking better questions.

In this episode:
• The Dustin Poirier airport incident and what it reveals about alcohol
• Is addiction really a disease?
• Why nicotine may be one of the hardest addictions to quit
• The difference between addiction, dependence, and choice
• Insights from Stanton Peele's work on addiction and recovery
• Why purpose, meaning, and personal agency matter
• Can both the disease model and personal responsibility be true?

Whether you're in recovery, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or simply interested in the broader conversation around addiction, this episode will challenge you to think differently.

The goal isn't to prove who's right. The goal is to ask the questions most people are afraid to ask.

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