25/5/2025, During the 24th Shanghai Social Science Popularization Week, a unique book-sharing event was recently held at the Xuhui District New Era Civilization Practice Center. Hosted by East China Normal University Press, the event titled “Beyond the Clinic: A Dialogue Between Medicine and Humanities—Understanding the Stories Behind Addiction and a Book Talk on The Clinic Is Elsewhere” centered on the work of the same name by medical anthropologist Todd Meyers, attracting numerous readers interested in medicine, addiction, and humanistic care.

The Clinic Is Elsewhere is a work grounded in medical anthropology, documenting the journey of 12 American teenagers undergoing treatment for opioid addiction at a community rehabilitation center. Gu Xiaoqing, deputy senior editor at the press, explained that the book goes beyond clinical treatment to focus on the ongoing care and struggles outside the medical system. When the English edition was published a decade ago, opioid abuse in the U.S. was just beginning to draw attention. Today, addiction has become part of popular culture, extending from short-video binges to impulsive shopping—its boundaries now permeate every aspect of daily life. The questions raised in the book continue to resonate: “It’s not just about drugs, but how we understand ourselves and the world.”

Scene from the Book-Sharing Event

At the event, Zhong Na, deputy chief physician of the Rehabilitation Department at Shanghai Mental Health Center, shared insights from her extensive experience in addiction treatment. She recounted how her career began with her upbringing in Ruili, a border city in Yunnan adjacent to Myanmar. Before turning 18, Zhong heard countless stories about drugs, which led her to specialize in addiction research during her university years and volunteer with children affected by HIV/AIDS. These experiences taught her that addiction treatment requires more than medication—it demands attention to family support and social environments.

Mei Xiao, associate professor at Fudan University’s School of Social Development and Public Policy, offered a fresh sociological perspective on addiction. She argued that addiction is not merely a medical issue but a social phenomenon reflecting complex interactions between individuals and their environments. Analyzing addiction through four sociological lenses, she described it as: 1) an escape from pain (e.g., youths using short videos to fill emptiness); 2) the emergence of new lifestyles (e.g., influencer cultures fostered by platforms); 3) a historical shift between medicalization and normalization (e.g., alcoholism once seen as a moral flaw now treated as a disease); and 4) a structural issue tied to poverty or marginalization. Linking addiction to pain, Mei noted how modern society’s interpretations of pain—as illness, challenge, or messenger—shape responses. She called for reimagining joy and suffering at the intersection of medicine and humanities to create diverse recovery paths.

“The Clinic Is Elsewhere challenges traditional frameworks, reminding us that healing happens not just in clinics but also in homes, communities, and personal lives,” Gu Xiaoqing remarked in her closing speech, quoting Virginia Woolf: “When illness begins, language runs dry.” Thus, understanding addiction requires moving beyond words to observe patients’ behaviors and unspoken expressions. She urged that confronting addiction demands not just restraint or sobriety but human connection. Gu also recommended books like The Anti-Hustle Society to counter singular narratives of meritocracy and mentioned Meyers’ upcoming work GONE GONE, which further explores addiction and identity.

Editor: Qing Chen at chenqing@ShanghaiDoctor.cn