A person with an addiction uses a substance, or engages in a behavior, for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeat the activity, despite detrimental consequences. Addiction may involve the use of substances such as alcohol , inhalants, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine, or behaviors such as gambling.
Myths About Addiction
The processes that give rise to addictive behavior resist a simplistic explanation. There is not just one cause: Although genetic or other biological factors can contribute to a person’s vulnerability to the condition, many social, psychological, and environmental factors also have a powerful influence on substance use.
Some characteristics, such as a lack of ability to tolerate distress or other strong feelings, have been associated with addiction, but there is no one “addictive personality ” type that clearly predicts whether a person will face problems with addiction.
Symptoms of Addiction
Recurrent use of a substance, or engagement with an activity, that leads to impairment or distress, is the core of addictive disorders. The clinical diagnosis of an addiction is based on the presence of at least two of a number of features:
The severity of the condition is gauged by the number of symptoms present. The presence of two to three symptoms generally indicates a mild condition; four to five symptoms indicate a moderate disorder. When six or more symptoms are present, the condition is considered severe.
Research makes it clear: There is no way to predict who will develop compulsive substance use or gambling behavior.
Addiction is a multi-faceted condition, arising from the confluence of many elements—including, of course, exposure to an addictive agent. It is more accurate to think of risk factors for the development of substance abuse disorders, rather than direct causes. (There are also factors that protect individuals against addiction.)
Treatment of Addiction
Substance use is a treatable condition and complete remission is entirely possible. Recovery, however, is often a long-term process that may involve multiple attempts. Relapse is now regarded as part of the process, and effective treatment regimens address prevention and management of recurrent use.
Since success tends not to occur all at once, any improvements are considered important signs of progress. Increasingly, programs are available to help those who recognize that they have a substance-use problem but are not ready for complete abstinence.
Because addiction affects so many facets of an individual’s functioning—from the ability to tolerate frustration to establishing and maintaining a productive role in society—good treatment focuses on many dimensions of life, including family roles and work skills as well as mental health.
Treatment can include any of a number of components, which are often deployed in combination and are likely to change over the course of recovery:
Substance Use Disorders
The medical world currently views substance use disorders according to the class of drug that is used. As a result, it defines 10 distinct disorders. All share the defining features of addiction: They directly and intensely involve reward and reinforcement systems of the brain, stimulating compulsive use that typically leads to the neglect of normal activities and negative consequences. With some variation, they also share common symptoms, although withdrawal symptoms differ significantly among them and do not occur for some classes of drug such as hallucinogens and inhalants.
Explore More About Addiction
For a comprehensive understanding of addiction, read our complete guide: