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Addiction and Substance Abuse

Drug Abuse

Definitions

Addiction is a chronic (lifelong) condition that involves compulsive seeking and taking of a substance or performing of an activity despite negative or harmful consequences.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.”

There are two main groups of addiction:

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)  recognizes Substance Abuse Disorder as a problematic pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress manifested by at least 2 of 11 criteria within a 12 month period.

Substances are drugs that have addiction potential. They can be prescription medications or non-medical drugs.and involve specific substances such as alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs, and other substances such as caffeine and tobacco.    

See menu tabs on Alcoholism, Illicit Drugs, Prescription Drugs, and Tobacco and Vaping

Behavioral addictions are usually referred to as non-substance addictions.    These can occur with any activity that’s capable of stimulating your brain’s reward system. Behavioral scientists continue to study the similarities and differences between substance addictions, behavioral addictions and other compulsive behavior conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bulimia nervosa.

  • The DSM-5 currently only recognizes gambling disorder as a diagnosable behavioral addiction in the subsection of “non-substance-related disorders” in the category of “substance-related and addictive disorders.”
  • The DSM-5 doesn’t currently include other behavioral addictions due to a lack of research on them. However, any activity or habit that becomes all-consuming and negatively impacts your daily functioning can cause significant mental, social and physical health issues, as well as financial issues in some cases.

See menu tabs on Behavior Addictions and Technology Addictions

See below to browse sources on the general topic of Addiction with background and overview information.

See menu on left to find books, articles, videos, and websites on specific types of addictions. 

Browse Sources on Addiction

Substance Abuse: A Reference Handbook
The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology - Addiction/Addictive Personality
Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior - Addiction
People of Color in the United States
Human Diseases and Conditions - Internet Addiction
Sociology Reference Guide:  Sex and Society
The Social Media Revolution - Addiction

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Articles, Websites and Videos

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