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How Science Is Unlocking the Secrets of Addiction

More than 200,000 people worldwide die every year from drug overdoses and drug-related illnesses, such as HIV, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and far more die from smoking and drinking. More than a billion people smoke, and tobacco is implicated in the top five causes of death: heart disease, stroke, respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Nearly one of every 20 adults worldwide is addicted to alcohol. No one has yet counted people hooked on gambling and other compulsive activities gaining recognition as addictions.

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 Understanding Addiction

Addiction and substance use disorders are common — and commonly misunderstood — challenges. One of the most persistent myths is that addiction is simply a choice. This misconception can lead people to question whether addiction is real. Addiction is the most severe substance use disorder and is a medical illness caused by repeated misuse of a substance or substances such as alcohol, opioids, stimulants (like cocaine or amphetamines), cannabis and tobacco. Addiction is very real. It’s a complex brain disease that affects millions of people across all walks of life (not a moral failing or a lack of willpower).

Articles of Interest

Why America’s Drug Treatment System Doesn’t Work

Journalist Shoshana Walter investigates how drug addiction programs exploit vulnerable patients.

A Generation of Drug-Addiction Survivors Is Entering Old Age

Overdose deaths are dropping, but millions of former users live with compromised health and prospects.

Alcohol and drugs rewire your brain by changing how your genes work – research is investigating how to counteract addiction’s effects

Many people are wired to seek and respond to rewards. Your brain interprets food as rewarding when you are hungry and water as rewarding when you are thirsty. But addictive substances like alcohol and drugs of abuse can overwhelm the natural reward pathways in your brain, resulting in intolerable cravings and reduced impulse control. A popular misconception is that addiction is a result of low willpower. But an explosion of knowledge and technology in the field of molecular genetics has changed our basic understanding of addiction drastically over the past decade. The general consensus among scientists and health care professionals is that there is a strong neurobiological and genetic basis for addiction.

Drug Addiction? Forget About it ...

Therapy to weaken cocaine memories may one day help addicts kick the habit.

Is Addiction Really a Disease?

Addiction is a disease with complex risk factors Addiction doesn't discriminate. High-rent districts, "seedy" neighborhoods, age, race, sex or income—addiction weaves its way through all walks of life. No one thing can predict your risk of developing a substance use disorder. But researchers agree there are a combination of factors involved that can increase your risk.

Millions of Kids Are on ADHD Pills. For Many, It’s the Start of a Drug Cascade.

Powerful psychotropic drugs are often the next step, even though their combined effects in young children haven’t been studied closely. ‘I was living in a body hijacked by the medication.’

Rethinking Addiction as a Chronic Brain Disease

Some researchers argue that the roles of social environment and personal choice have to be considered in order to make progress in treating people addicted to drugs.

Resources

5 Devastating Psychological Effects of Drug Addiction and Substance Abuse

Substance abuse and mental health are linked because the psychological effects of drug addiction, including alcohol, cause changes in your body and brain. A careful balance of chemicals keeps the cogs turning inside your body, and even the smallest change can cause you to experience negative symptoms. Initial drug use can alter brain chemistry and set the stage for future dependency. Because the risk factors for mental health and substance abuse are comparable, this may be attributed to the fact that drug addiction can cause or worsen mental health conditions.