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Is addiction a disease?
What is the definition of addiction?
Is addiction a developmental disease?
Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence. Learn more at psychiatry.org.
Addiction is considered a disease largely as a way to remove stigma, guilt, moral blame, and shame from those who use substances or certain behaviors repeatedly to feel intense euphoria and as a...
- Because addiction is such a complex phenomenon, there are many theories about what addiction is. They are of more than academic interest. It matte...
- Addiction changes the circuitry of the brain in ways that make it difficult for people to regulate through deliberative efforts the allure of a c...
- Habits are behavioral routines that are repeated so often they get wired into the brain as a matter of efficiency. The brain is always changing and...
- No one chooses to get addicted. The process of addiction is set in motion automatically, by the brain’s response to a behavior repeated often enou...
- Neuroscience research supports the idea that addiction is a habit that becomes quickly and deeply entrenched and self-perpetuating , rapidly rewir...
- Most people who meet the clinical criteria for an alcohol or other drug use disorder achieve full recovery, data show. Perhaps the most interestin...
- “Drug addiction is a brain disease that can be treated.”
- How Science Has Revolutionized the Understanding of Drug Addiction
- How does science provide solutions for drug abuse and addiction?
- Why do people take drugs?
- If taking drugs makes people feel good or better, what’s the problem?
- Is continued drug abuse a voluntary behavior?
- Risk Factors Protective Factors
- What environmental factors increase the risk of addiction?
- What other factors increase the risk of addiction?
- Why is adolescence a critical time for preventing drug addiction?
- Can research-based programs prevent drug addiction in youth?
- How do research-based prevention programs work?
- Introducing the Human brain
- How do the parts of the brain communicate?
- How do drugs work in the brain?
- How do drugs work in the brain to produce pleasure?
- DRUGS OF AbUSe TARGeT THe bRAIN’S PLeASURe CeNTeR
- Brain reward (dopamine) pathways
- Drugs of abuse increase dopamine
- What happens to your brain if you keep taking drugs?
- DeCReASeD DOPAmINe TRANSPORTeRS IN A meTHAmPHeTAmINe AbUSeR18
- How does long-term drug taking affect brain circuits?
- What other brain changes occur with drug abuse?
- What are the medical consequences of drug addiction?
- Does drug abuse cause mental disorders, or vice versa?
- Nearly half of high school seniors report having used marijuana, and 6.5 percent are daily marijuana users.14
- Can addiction be treated successfully?
- Can addiction be cured?
- Does relapse to drug abuse mean treatment has failed?
- What are the principles of effective substance use disorder treatment?
- How can medications help treat drug addiction?
- How do behavioral therapies treat drug addiction?
- Treatment must address the whole person.
- How do the best treatment programs help patients recover from the pervasive effects of addiction?
- For more information on substance use disorder treatment,
- Leading the Search for Scientific Solutions
- Sharing Free Information With the Public
- headsup.scholastic.com
- www.teens.drugabuse.gov
- National Drug Facts Week—
- Special Initiative for Clinicians
- Publications on Prevention and Treatment Principles
Nora D. Volkow, M.D. Director National Institute on Drug Abuse
For much of the past century, scientists studying drug abuse labored in the shadows of powerful myths and misconceptions about the nature of addiction. When scientists began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s, people addicted to drugs were thought to be morally flawed and lacking in willpower. Those views shaped society’s responses to drug ab...
Scientists study the effects that drugs have on the brain and on people’s behavior. They use this information to develop programs for preventing drug abuse and for helping people recover from addiction. Further research helps transfer these ideas into practice in our communities.
In general, people begin taking drugs for a variety of reasons: To feel good. Most abused drugs produce intense feelings of pleasure. This initial sensation of euphoria is followed by other effects, which differ with the type of drug used. For example, with stimulants such as cocaine, the “high” is followed by feelings of power, self-confidence, an...
When they first use a drug, people may perceive what seem to be positive effects; they also may believe that they can control their use. However, drugs can quickly take over a person’s life. Over time, if drug use continues, other pleasurable activities become less pleasurable, and taking the drug becomes neces-sary for the user just to feel “norma...
The initial decision to take drugs is typically voluntary. However, with continued use, a person’s ability to exert self-control can become seriously impaired; this impairment in self-control is the hallmark of addiction. Brain imaging studies of people with addiction show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decisi...
Aggressive behavior Good self-control in childhood Lack of parental Parental monitoring supervision and support Poor social skills Positive relationships Drug experimentation Academic competence Availability of drugs School anti-drug at school policies Community poverty Neighborhood pride Children’s earliest interactions within the family are cruci...
Home and Family. The influence of the home envi-ronment, especially during childhood, is a very impor-tant factor. Parents or older family members who abuse alcohol or drugs, or who engage in criminal behavior, can increase children’s risks of developing their own drug problems. Peer and School. Friends and acquaintances can have an increasingly st...
Early Use. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research shows that the earlier a person begins to use drugs, the more likely he or she is to develop serious problems.8 This may reflect the harmful effect that drugs can have on the developing brain; it also may result from a mix of early social and biological vulnerability factor...
A s noted previously, early use of drugs increases a person’s chances of developing addiction. Remember, drugs change brains—and this can lead to addiction and other serious problems. So, preventing early use of drugs or alcohol may go a long way in reducing these risks. If we can prevent young people from experimenting with drugs, we can prevent d...
Yes. The term “research-based” means that these programs have been rationally designed based on current scientific evidence, rigor-ously tested, and shown to produce positive results. Scientists have developed a broad range of programs that positively alter the balance between risk and protective factors for drug abuse in families, schools, and com...
These prevention programs work to boost protective factors and eliminate or reduce risk factors for drug use. The programs are designed for various ages and can be designed for individual or group settings, such as the school and home. There are three types of programs: Universal programs address risk and protective factors common to all children i...
T he human brain is the most complex organ in the body. This three-pound mass of gray and white matter sits at the center of all human activity—you need it to drive a car, to enjoy a meal, to breathe, to create an artistic masterpiece, and to enjoy everyday activi-ties. In brief, the brain regulates your body’s basic functions; enables you to inter...
The brain is a communications center consisting of billions of neurons, or nerve cells. Networks of neurons pass messages back and forth among different structures within the brain, the spinal cord, and nerves in the rest of the body (the peripheral nervous system). These nerve networks coordinate and regulate everything we feel, think, and do. Neu...
Drugs are chemicals that affect the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way neurons normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter. This similarity in structure “fools” recep...
Most drugs of abuse directly or indirectly target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. When activated at normal levels, this system rewards our natural behaviors. Overstimulating the syste...
This is why scientists sometimes say that drug abuse is something we
These brain circuits are important for natural rewards such as food, music, and sex.
WHILE EATING FOOD WHILE USING COCAINE Typically, dopamine increases in response to natural rewards such as food. When cocaine is taken, dopamine increases are exaggerated, and communication is altered. learn to do very, very well.
For the brain, the difference between normal rewards and drug rewards can be described as the difference between someone whispering into your ear and someone shouting into a microphone. Just as we turn down the volume on a radio that is too loud, the brain adjusts to the overwhelm-
ing surges in dopamine (and other neurotransmitters) by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of receptors that can receive signals. As a result, dopamine’s impact on the reward circuit of the brain of someone who abuses drugs can become abnormally low, and that per-son’s ability to experience any pleasure is reduced. This is why a pers...
We know that the same sort of mechanisms involved in the development of tolerance can eventually lead to profound changes in neurons and brain circuits, with the potential to severely compromise the long-term health of the brain. For example, glutamate is another neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the...
Chronic exposure to drugs of abuse disrupts the way critical brain structures interact to control and inhibit behaviors related to drug use. Just as continued abuse may lead to tolerance or the need for higher drug dosages to produce an effect, it may also lead to addiction, which can drive a user to seek out and take drugs compulsively. Drug addic...
People who suffer from addiction often have one or more accompanying medical issues, which may include lung or cardiovascular dis- ease, stroke, cancer, and mental disorders. Imaging scans, chest X-rays, and blood tests show the damaging effects of long-term drug abuse throughout the body. For example, research has shown that tobacco smoke causes c...
Drug abuse and mental illness often co-exist. In some cases, mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia may precede addiction; in other cases, drug abuse may trigger or exacerbate those mental disorders, particularly in people with specific vulnerabilities. FAR-ReACHING ADDICTION CAN be THe ImPACT OF
Inhalants are volatile substances found in many household prod-ucts, such as oven cleaners, gasoline, spray paints, and other aerosols, that induce mind-altering effects; they are frequently the first drugs tried by children or young teens. Inhalants are extremely toxic and can damage the heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain. Even a healthy person can ...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders—NIDA’s research-based guide for prevent-ing drug abuse among children and adolescents pro-vides 16 principles derived from effective drug-pre-vention research and includes answers to questions on risk and protective factors as we...
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Jan 31, 2024 · How Is Drug Addiction Defined? Drug addiction is a brain disease that falls into the category of substance use disorders. Generally, substance use disorders are defined as having no control over substance use or an inability to quit due to tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms.
Jan 10, 2024 · Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that leads to medical, psychological, and social complications. This activity outlines the importance of the interprofessional team in treating patients with addiction to ensure the best long-term outcomes.
- 2024/01/10
Based on this reasoning, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines addiction as “a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual's life experiences.”
Feb 22, 2021 · Differentiating hazardous use, substance use disorder, and addiction. Although our principal focus is on the brain disease model of addiction, the definition of addiction itself is a source of ambiguity. Here, we provide a perspective on the major forms of terminology in the field. Hazardous Substance Use.
