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Jeffrey Schaler

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Jeffrey Alfred Schaler is a psychologist, author, editor, retired professor of justice, law, and society at American University, and former member of the psychology faculty at Johns Hopkins University.[1] He is a prominent critic of psychiatric claims and practices, especially of treatment without consent. Schaler opposes the medicalization of addiction.[2][3][4] He has had a private practice in existential therapy since the 1970s.[5]

In 1973, Schaler earned a Bachelor's degree in Human Interaction and Group Dynamics from the School for Social Research and Action at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, satellite campus in Baltimore, Md. He received a Master of Education from the University of Maryland in 1986. He obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Maryland in 1993 with a dissertation titled, Addiction Beliefs of Treatment Providers: Factors Explaining Variance.[5]

Schaler has authored scores of articles for academic and popular publications. He was editor-in-chief of Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues from 2005 to 2014. He has edited several books, including Szasz Under Fire: The Psychiatric Abolitionist Faces His Critics,[6] Peter Singer Under Fire: The Moral Iconoclast Faces Critics,[7] and Howard Gardner Under Fire: The Rebel Psychologist Faces His Critics.[8] He is a co-editor of and contributor to Thomas S. Szasz: The Man and His Ideas.[9] Many of Schaler's views on mental health and addiction intersect with those of his long-time friend and associate, Thomas Szasz, whose authorized web site he created and maintains.[10] He was awarded the Thomas Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties by the Center for Independent Thought in 1999.[11] In February 2006, Schaler accepted the Thomas S. Szasz Award from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.[12][13]

Schaler is best known as the author of Addiction Is a Choice,[14][15][16] in which he challenges the widely held view that addiction has a physiological basis. Schaler asserts that "the contention that addiction is a disease is empirically unsupported. Addiction is a behavior and thus clearly intended by the individual person.” He argues that what is called “addiction” is actually "an ethical, not medical, problem in living".[17] Schaler opposes the war on drugs, echoing John Stuart Mill in contending that "Government should protect us from other people, but government should not protect us from ourselves. That rule applies to cigarette smoking, to drug use, alcohol use, and to all kinds of behaviors".[1] In 2016, Addiction is a Choice was released as an audiobook.[18]

Schaler resides in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Additional publications, partial

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References

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  1. ^ a b ""Addiction Is A Choice": Exclusive 20th Anniversary Interview with the Author of the Controversial Classic Book". medium.com. July 6, 2020. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Do Drugs Cause Addiction?" (PDF). debatesdebates. August 26, 1996. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  3. ^ Andy Denhart (January 10, 2000). "Is being hooked a choice?". Salon. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  4. ^ Jennifer K. Ruark (April 21, 2000). "Verbatim". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Curriculum Vitae of Jeffrey A. Schaler" (PDF). Jeffrey Schaler's homepage. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  6. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler, ed. (2004). Szasz Under Fire: A Psychiatric Abolitionist Faces His Critics. Open Court. ISBN 9780812699326. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler, ed. (2009). Peter Singer Under Fire: The Moral Iconoclast Faces His Critics. Open Court. ISBN 9780812697698. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  8. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler, ed. (2006). Howard Gardner Under Fire: The Rebel Psychologist Faces His Critics. Open Court. ISBN 9780812696042. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  9. ^ Schaler, J.A.; Lothane, H.Z.; Vatz, R.E. (2017). Thomas S. Szasz: The Man and His Ideas. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-351-29502-4.
  10. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler (ed.). "The Szasz Site". Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Remarks by Jeff Schaler on the occasion of receiving The Ninth Annual Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties". szasz.com. November 16, 1999. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Jeffrey A. Schaler, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology". The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: PSYCHIATRY IS A WEAPON AGAINST PEOPLE "Jeffrey A. Schaler at CCHR Thomas Szasz Award". YouTube.
  14. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler (2000). Addiction is a Choice. Open Court. ISBN 9780812697681. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Addiction is a Choice". kirkus.com. Kirkus Media LLC. May 20, 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  16. ^ Andy Dehnart (January 10, 2000). "Is being hooked a choice?". Salon. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  17. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler (October 1, 2002). "Addiction is a choice". Psychiatric Times. Psychiatric Times Vol 19 No 10. 19 (10). Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  18. ^ Addiction is a Choice. Audible. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020 – via audible.com.
  19. ^ Schaler, J.A.; Schaler, M.E. (1998). Smoking: Who Has the Right?. Contemporary issues. Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-1-57392-254-8. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  20. ^ Jeffrey A. Schaler, ed. (1998). Drugs: Should We Legalize, Decriminalize, Or Deregulate?. Prometheus Books. ISBN 9781573921961. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
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