Stanton Peele, Ph. D., J.D., (b. January 8, 1946) is a licensed psychologist, attorney, practicing psychotherapist and the author of numerous books and articles on the subject of alcoholism, addiction and treatment. His contribution to the field of alcoholism has won him several awards including the 1994 Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for achievement in the Field of Scholarship, from the Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, DC[1] and in 1989 the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies Mark Keller Award for Alcohol Studies for his article ‘’ The limitations of control-of-supply models for explaining and preventing alcoholism and drug addiction,’’JSA, 48:61-77, 1987 [2].
Dr. Peele began his critique of standard notions of addiction when he published Love and Addiction (with Archie Brodsky) in 1975. According to Dr. Peele's experential/environmental approach, addictions are negative patterns of behavior that result from an overattachment people form to experiences generated from a range of involvements. Most people experience addiction to some degree at least for periods of time during their lives. He does not view addictions as medical problems but as "problems of life" that most people overcome. The failure to do so is the exception rather than the rule, he argues. [citation needed]
Peele's belief that alcoholism and addictions are not biologically based diseases is opposed by many in the alcoholism treatment, education, and prevention fields. Although most medical and psychological associations define alcoholism as a disease, there is still significant controversy regarding this point. [citation needed]
He is the author of nine books including, in addition to Love and Addiction, The Meaning of Addiction (1985/1998), Diseasing of America (1989), The Truth about Addiction and Recovery (with Archie Brodsky and Mary Arnold, 1991), Resisting 12-Step Coercion (with Charles Bufe and Archie Brodsky, 2001), 7 Tools to Beat Addiction (2004), and Addiction-Proof Your Child (2007), as well as 200 professional publications. Peele has three children: Dana, Haley and Anna.