A Literary Exploration of Addiction with Expert Psychologist Dilek Aksoy

İzmir Ekonomi University (IUE) Department of English Translation and Interpreting organized a seminar titled “Psychoactive Substance Use and Addiction in Literary Works” on Monday, December 1, 2025. The event featured expert psychologist Dilek Aksoy from Ege University Institute on Drug Abuse, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science as the guest speaker.

The seminar began with the opening speech of the Head of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting, Nihal Yetkin Karakoç. Then, expert psychologist Dilek Aksoy presented a comprehensive overview of psychoactive substance use and addiction, addressing the topic from both scientific and literary-phenomenological perspectives.

In the first part of the presentation, the definition and historical background of psychoactive substances were discussed. This was followed by an overview of the diagnostic criteria for Substance Use Disorders in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5, including the concepts of craving and withdrawal. Aksoy emphasized that addiction is not a weakness of will, but a brain-based, chronic, and recurrent disorder, highlighting that it develops through the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. She also addressed the concept of co-dependency, revealing the multi-layered nature of addiction.

The second part of the seminar focused on a literature-based phenomenological analysis. In this section, subjective experiences related to substances such as alcohol, morphine, cannabis, and opium were conveyed through excerpts from the works of Charles Baudelaire, Jack London, Mikhail Bulgakov, Thomas De Quincey, as well as Turkish author Halit Çapın. This approach highlighted literature’s role in giving voice to experiences that are often difficult to express on both personal and social levels.

The event also provided significant academic and professional benefits for students of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting. The seminar encouraged students to approach sensitive topics such as addiction, mental disorders, and social exclusion with greater empathy and impartiality. Moreover, by strengthening their ability to analyze texts within biological, psychological, and social contexts, the seminar aimed to enhance their overall translation quality.

The program concluded with a Q&A session, followed by a group photo and a serving of refreshments.