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Learn about the definition, causes and effects of addiction, and how to get help from the NHS and other organisations. Find out how addiction can affect your work, relationships and health, and what types of addictions are possible.
- Overview
- What are the types?
- What are the signs?
- What causes addiction?
- What are the stages?
- What are the complications?
- How do you treat addiction?
- Where can you get support for addiction?
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What’s the definition of addiction?
An addiction is a chronic dysfunction of the brain system that involves reward, motivation, and memory. It’s about the way your body craves a substance or behavior, especially if it causes a compulsive or obsessive pursuit of “reward” and lack of concern over consequences.
Someone experiencing an addiction will:
•be unable stay away from the substance or stop the addictive behavior
•display a lack of self-control
•have an increased desire for the substance or behavior
According to U.K. charity Action on Addiction, 1 in 3 people in the world have an addiction of some kind. Addiction can come in the form of any substance or behavior.
The most well-known and serious addiction is to drugs and alcohol. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have an addiction to both. Of the people with a drug addiction, more than two-thirds also abuse alcohol.
The most common drug addictions are:
•nicotine, found in tobacco
•THC, found in marijuana
•opioid (narcotics), or pain relievers
Most signs of addiction relate to a person’s impaired ability to maintain self-control. This includes changes that are:
•social, such as seeking out situations that encourage a substance or behavior
•behavioral, such increased secrecy
•health related, such as insomnia or memory loss
•related to personality
Someone with an addition won’t stop their behavior, even if they recognize the problems the addiction is causing. In some cases, they’ll also display a lack of control, like using more than intended.
The brain
Some people may try a substance or behavior and never approach it again, while others become addicted. This is partially due to the brain’s frontal lobes. The frontal lobe allows a person to delay feelings of reward or gratification. In addiction, the frontal lobe malfunctions and gratification is immediate. Additional areas of the brain may also play a role in addiction. The anterior cingulate cortex and the nucleus accumbens, which is associated with pleasurable sensations, can increase a person’s response when exposed to addictive substances and behaviors. Other possible causes of addiction include chemical imbalances in the brain and mental disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These disorders can lead to coping strategies that become addictions.
Early exposure
Experts believe that repeated and early exposure to addictive substances and behaviors play a significant role. Genetics also increase the likelihood of an addiction by about 50 percent, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. But just because addiction runs in the family does not necessarily mean a person will develop one. Environment and culture also play a role in how a person responds to a substance or behavior. A lack or disruption in a person’s social support system can lead to substance or behavioral addiction. Traumatic experiences that affect coping abilities can also lead to addictive behaviors.
Addiction will often play out in stages. Your brain and body’s reactions at early stages of addiction are different from reactions during the later stages.
The four stages of addiction are:
•experimentation: uses or engages out of curiosity
•social or regular: uses or engages in social situations or for social reasons
•problem or risk: uses or engages in an extreme way with disregard for consequences
•dependency: uses or engages in a behavior on a daily basis, or several times per day, despite possible negative consequences
Addiction that’s left untreated can lead to long-term consequences. These consequences can be:
•physical, such as heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and neurological damage
•psychological and emotional, such as anxiety, stress, and depression
•social, such as jail and damaged relationships
•economic, such as bankruptcy and debt
Different substances and behaviors have different effects on a person’s health. Serious complications can cause health concerns or social situations to result in the end of a life.
All types of addiction are treatable. The best plans are comprehensive, as addiction often affects many areas of life. Treatments will focus on helping you or the person you know stop seeking and engaging in their addiction.
Common therapies include:
•medications, for mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia
•psychotherapy, including behavioral, talk, and group therapies
•medical services, to help treat serious complications of addiction, like withdrawal during detox
•addiction case manager, to help coordinate and check ongoing treatment
Overcoming addiction is a long journey. Support can go a long way in making the recovery process more successful. Many organizations can help, depending on the type of addiction.
These include:
•Al-Anon
•Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
•Cocaine Anonymous (CA)
•Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA)
Learn what addiction is, how it affects the brain and body, and what types, signs, causes, stages, and complications of addiction are. Find out how to get help and support for addiction from Healthline.
- Mara Tyler
- 6
Psychiatry, clinical psychology, toxicology, addiction medicine. Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences.
Addiction is a complex condition that involves compulsive use of substances or behaviors despite harmful consequences. Learn about the neurobiological, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to addiction, and the different routes to recovery.
Dec 8, 2022 · Addiction is a complex, chronic brain condition influenced by genes and the environment that is characterized by substance use or compulsive actions that continue despite harmful consequences. For a long time, addiction meant an uncontrollable habit of using alcohol or other drugs. More recently, the concept of addiction has expanded to include ...
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Oct 4, 2022 · Physical addiction appears to occur when repeated use of a drug changes the way your brain feels pleasure. The addicting drug causes physical changes to some nerve cells (neurons) in your brain. Neurons use chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate. These changes can remain long after you stop using the drug.
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