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addiction

 

Definition

Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or sub-stance that a person is powerless to stop. The term has been partially replaced by the word dependence for substance abuse. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviors or activities. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity). There is a growing recognition that many addicts, such as polydrug abusers, are addicted to more than one sub-stance or process.

Description

Addiction is one of the most costly public health problems in the United States. It is a progressive syndrome, which means that it increases in severity over time unless it is treated. Substance abuse is characterized by frequent relapse, or return to the abused substance. Substance abusers often make repeated attempts to quit before they are successful.

In 1995 the economic cost of substance abuse in the United States exceeded $414 billion, with health care costs attributed to substance abuse estimated at more than $114 billion.

By eighth grade, 52% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 41% have smoked tobacco, and 20% have smoked marijuana. Compared to females, males are almost four times as likely to be heavy drinkers, nearly one and a half more likely to smoke a pack or more of cigarettes daily, and twice as likely to smoke marijuana weekly. However, among adolescents these gender differences are decreasing. Although frequent use of tobacco, cocaine and heavy drinking appears to have remained stable in the 1990s, marijuana use increased.

In 1999, an estimated four million Americans over the age of 12 used prescription pain relievers, sedatives, and stimulants for "nonmedical" reasons during one month.

In the United States, 25% of the population regularly uses tobacco. Tobacco use reportedly kills 2.5 times as many people each year as alcohol and drug abuse combined. According to 1998 data from the World Health Organization, there were 1.1 billion smokers worldwide and 10,000 tobacco-related deaths per day. Furthermore, in the United States, 43% of children aged 2-11 years are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, which has been implicated in sudden infant death syndrome,low birth weight, asthma, middle ear disease, pneumonia, cough, and upper respiratory infection.

Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating, affect over five million American women and men. Fifteen percent of young women have substantially disordered attitudes toward eating and eating behaviors. More than 1,000 women die each year from anorexia nervosa. A 1997 Harvard study found that an estimated 15.4 million Americans suffered from a gambling addiction. Over half that number (7.9 million) were adolescents.

— Bill Asenjo, MS, CRC



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Dictionary: ad·dic·tion   (ə-dĭk'shən) pronunciation
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n.
    1. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
    2. An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.
    1. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
    2. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.

World of the Body: addiction
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The consumption of any psychoactive drug, legal or illegal, can be thought of as comprising three stages: use, abuse, and addiction. Initially the user may consume the drug simply to obtain the resulting pleasurable or other beneficial effects. If use of the drug then escalates to the point where it is interfering with the ability of the user to function normally, use may turn into abuse, and if drug consumption increases further the user may become addicted. People can also become addicted to other pleasurable activities, including gambling, computer games, exercise, surfing the Internet, or sex.

The terms ‘abuse’ and ‘addiction’, however, have been defined and re-defined over the years. Addiction used to be a term used to describe only those conditions in which terminating use leads to unpleasant physical signs of withdrawal. These are particularly prominent in regular users of such ‘hard drugs’ as heroin and cocaine, and in alcoholics. The most commonly accepted current modern system of diagnosis is that published by the American Psychiatric Association, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) , (Washington DC, 1994). This uses the term substance dependence instead of ‘addiction’ and defines it as follows:



DSM-IV Criteria for Substance Dependence (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) A maladaptive pattern of substance abuse, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:
(1) Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
(a) A need for markedly increased amount of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect.
(b) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.
(2) Withdrawal, as defined by either of the following:
(a) The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance.
(b) The same (or a closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
(3) The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
(4) There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use.
(5) A great deal of time is spent in activities to obtain the substance (e.g. visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substance (e.g. chain-smoking), or recover from its effects.
(6) Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use.
(7) The substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g. current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption).



This new way of thinking about drug-dependence is significantly different from much of the earlier work in this field. It means that neither physical dependence nor tolerance need necessarily be present to make the diagnosis of ‘substance dependence’. The diagnosis can be made simply on the grounds of psychological dependence. This removes, for example, some of the confusion from previous debates over whether tobacco smoking is ‘addictive’. Even though it does not lead to tolerance or physical dependence, smokers find it very difficult to quit, as do many gamblers, athletes, and surfers of the Internet.

— Leslie L. Iversen

See also alcoholism; drug abuse; nicotine; smoking.

Food and Fitness: addiction
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A state of physiological dependence produced by habitually taking drugs such as morphine, heroin or alcohol. The term is also applied to a state of psychological dependence on drugs such as barbiturates. See also exercise addiction.

Antonyms: addiction
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n

Definition: habit
Antonyms: indifference


Dental Dictionary: addiction
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(ədik′shən)
n

The state of being addicted. Although there is no universally accepted definition, addiction is generally considered a condition involving two factors: (1) a compulsive behavior pattern, and (2) an altered physiologic state that requires continued use of the drug to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Definition

Addiction is a physical or mental dependence on a behavior or substance that a person feels powerless to stop.

Description

Addiction is one of the most costly public health problems in the United States. It is a progressive syndrome, which means that it increases in severity over time unless it is treated. The term has been partially replaced by the word "dependence" for substance abuse. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviors or activities. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity). There was as of 2004 a growing recognition that many addicts are addicted to more than one substance or process. Substance abuse is characterized by frequent relapse or return to the abused substance. Substance abusers often make repeated attempts to quit before they are successful.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is conducted annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Among the findings of the 2003 study are the following:

  • In 2003, an estimated 19.5 million Americans, or 8.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, were current illicit drug users. Current illicit drug use means use of an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. The numbers did not change from 2002.
  • The rate of illicit drug use among youths aged 12–17 did not change significantly between 2002 (11.6%) and 2003 (11.2%), and there were no changes for any specific drug. The rate of current marijuana use among youths was 8.2 percent in 2002 and 7.9 percent in 2003. There was a significant decline in lifetime marijuana use among youths, from 20.6 percent in 2002 to 19.6 percent in 2003. There also were decreases in rates of past year use of LSD (1.3 to 0.6%), ecstasy (2.2 to 1.3%), and methamphetamine (0.9 to 0.7%).
  • About 10.9 million persons aged 12–20 reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview in 2003 (29.0 percent of this age group). Nearly 7.2 million (19.2%) were binge drinkers and 2.3 million (6.1%) were heavy drinkers. The 2003 rates were essentially the same as those from the 2002 survey.
  • An estimated 70.8 million Americans reported current (past month) use of a tobacco product in 2003. This is 29.8 percent of the population aged 12 or older, similar to the rate in 2002 (30.4%). Young adults aged 18–25 reported the highest rate of past month cigarette use (40.2%), similar to the rate among young adults in 2002. An estimated 35.7 million Americans aged 12 or older in 2003 were classified as nicotine dependent in the past month because of their cigarette use (15% of the total population), about the same as for 2002.

Demographics

In 2003, the rate of substance dependence or abuse was 8.9 percent for youths aged 12–17 and 21 percent for persons aged 18–25. Among persons with substance dependence or abuse, illicit drugs accounted for 58.1 percent of youths and 37.2 percent of persons aged 18–25. In 2003, males were almost twice as likely to be classified with substance dependence or abuse as females (12.2% versus 6.2%). Among youths aged 12–17, however, the rate of substance dependence or abuse among females (9.1%) was similar to the rate among males (8.7%). The rate of substance dependence or abuse was highest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives (17.2%). The next highest rates were among Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (12.9%) and persons reporting mixed ethnicity (11.3%). Asian Americans had the lowest rate (6.3%). The rates among Hispanics (9.8%) and whites (9.2%) were higher than the rate among blacks (8.1%).

Rates of drug use showed substantial variation by age. For example, in 2003, some 3.8 percent of youths aged 12 to 13 reported current illicit drug use compared with 10.9 percent of youths aged 14 to 15 and 19.2 percent of youths aged 16 or 17. As in other years, illicit drug use in 2003 tended to increase with age among young persons, peaking among 18 to 20-year-olds (23.3%) and declining steadily after that point with increasing age. The prevalence of current alcohol use among adolescents in 2003 increased with increasing age, from 2.9 percent at age 12 to a peak of about 70 percent for persons 21 to 22 years old. The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate of both measures occurring at age 21. The rate of binge drinking was 41.6 percent for young adults aged 18 to 25 and 47.8 percent at age 21. Heavy alcohol use was reported by 15.1 percent of persons aged 18 to 25 and 18.7 percent of persons aged 21. Among youths aged 12 to 17, an estimated 17.7 percent used alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview. Of all youths, 10.6 percent were binge drinkers, and 2.6 percent were heavy drinkers, similar to the 2002 numbers.

Rates of current illicit drug use varied significantly among the major racial-ethnic groups in 2003. The rate of illicit drug use was highest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives (12.1%), persons reporting two or more races (12%), and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (11.1%). Rates were 8.7 percent for African Americans, 8.3 percent for Caucasians, and 8 percent for Hispanics. Asian Americans had the lowest rate of current illicit drug use at 3.8 percent. The rates were unchanged from 2002. Native Americans and Alaska Natives were more likely than any other racial-ethnic group to report the use of tobacco products in 2003. Among persons aged 12 or older, 41.8 percent of Native Americans and Alaska Natives reported using at least one tobacco product in the past month. The lowest current tobacco use rate among racial-ethnic groups in 2003 was observed for Asian Americans (13.8%), a decrease from the 2002 rate (18.6%).

Young adults aged 18 to 25 had the highest rate of current use of cigarettes (40.2%), similar to the rate in 2002. Past month cigarette use rates among youths in 2002 and 2003 were 13 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively, not a statistically significant change. However, there were significant declines in past year (from 20.3% to 19%) and lifetime (from 33.3% to 31%) cigarette use among youths aged 12 to 17 between 2002 and 2003. Among persons aged 12 or older, a higher proportion of males than females smoked cigarettes in the past month in 2003 (28.1% versus 23%). Among youths aged 12 to 17, however, girls (12.5%) were as likely as boys (11.9%) to smoke in the past month. There was no change in cigarette use among boys aged 12 to 17 between 2002 and 2003. However, among girls, cigarette use decreased from 13.6 percent in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2003.

Causes and Symptoms

Addiction to substances results from the interaction of several factors.

Drug Chemistry

Some substances are more addictive than others, either because they produce a rapid and intense change in mood or because they produce painful withdrawal symptoms when stopped suddenly.

Genetics

Some people appear to be more vulnerable to addiction because their body chemistry increases their sensitivity to drugs. Some forms of substance abuse and dependence seem to run in families; a correlation that may be the result of a genetic predisposition, environmental influences, or a combination of the two.

Brain Structure and Function

Using drugs repeatedly over time changes brain structure and function in fundamental and long-lasting ways. Addiction comes about through an array of changes in the brain and the strengthening of new memory connections. Evidence suggests that those long-lasting brain changes are responsible for the distortions of cognitive and emotional functioning that characterize addicts, particularly the compulsion to use drugs. Although the causes of addiction remain the subject of ongoing debate and research, many experts as of 2004 considered addiction to be a brain disease, a condition caused by persistent changes in brain structure and function. However, having this brain disease does not absolve the addict of responsibility for his or her behavior, but it does explain why many addicts cannot stop using drugs by sheer force of will alone.

Social Learning

Social learning is considered the most important single factor in causing addiction. It includes patterns of use in the addict's family or subculture, peer pressure, and advertising or media influence.

Availability

Inexpensive or readily available tobacco, alcohol, or drugs produce marked increases in rates of addiction. Increases in state taxes on alcohol and tobacco products have not resulted in decreased use.

Personality

Before the 1980s, the so-called addictive personality was used to explain the development of addiction. The addictive personality was described as escapist, impulsive, dependent, devious, manipulative, and self-centered. Many doctors in the early 2000s believe that these character traits develop in addicts as a result of the addiction, rather than the traits being a cause of the addiction.

When to Call the Doctor

The earlier one seeks help for their teen's behavioral or drug problems, the better. How is a parent to know if their teen is experimenting with or moving more deeply into the drug culture? Above all, a parent must be a careful observer, particularly of the little details that make up a teen's life. Overall signs of dramatic change in appearance, friends, or physical health may signal trouble. If parents believe their child may be drinking or using drugs, they should seek help through a substance abuse recovery program, family physician, or mental health professional.

Diagnosis

In addition to noting a preoccupation with using and acquiring the abused substance, the diagnosis of addiction focuses on five criteria:

  • loss of willpower
  • harmful consequences
  • unmanageable lifestyle
  • increased tolerance or escalation of use
  • withdrawal symptoms on quitting

Treatment

According to the American Psychiatric Association, there are three goals for the treatment of persons with substance use disorders: (1) the patient abstains from or reduces the use and effects of the substance; (2) the patient reduces the frequency and severity of relapses; and (3) the patient develops the psychological and emotional skills necessary to restore and maintain personal, occupational, and social functioning.

In general, before treatment can begin, many treatment centers require that the patient undergo detoxification. Detoxification is the process of weaning the patient from his or her regular substance use. Detoxification can be accomplished "cold turkey," by complete and immediate cessation of all substance use, or by slowly decreasing (tapering) the dose that a person is taking, to minimize the side effects of withdrawal. Some substances must be tapered because cold-turkey methods of detoxification are potentially life threatening. In some cases, medications may be used to combat the unpleasant and threatening physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal. For example, methadone is used to help patients adjust to the tapering of heroin use.

The most frequently recommended social form of outpatient treatment is the 12-step program. Such programs are also frequently combined with psychotherapy. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), anyone, regardless of his or her religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs, can benefit from participation in 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). The number of visits to 12-step self-help groups exceeds the number of visits to all mental health professionals combined. There are 12-step groups for all major substance and process addictions.

Alternative Treatment

Acupuncture and homeopathy have been used to treat withdrawal symptoms. Meditation, yoga, and reiki healing have been recommended for process addictions; however, the success of these programs has not been well documented through controlled studies.

Prognosis

The prognosis for recovery from any addiction depends on the substance or process, the individual's circumstances, and underlying personality structure. People who have multiple substance dependencies have the worst prognosis for recovery. It is not uncommon for someone in a treatment program to have a relapse, but the success rate increases with subsequent treatment programs.

Recovery from substance use is notoriously difficult, even with exceptional treatment resources. Although relapse rates are difficult to accurately obtain, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism cites evidence that 90 percent of alcohol dependent users experience at least one relapse within four years after treatment. Relapse rates for heroin and nicotine users are believed to be similar. Certain pharmacological treatments, however, have been shown to reduce relapse rates. Relapses are most likely to occur within the first 12 months of having discontinued substance use. Triggers for relapses can include any number of life stresses (problems in school or on the job, loss of a relationship, death of a loved one, financial stresses), in addition to seemingly mundane exposure to a place or an acquaintance associated with previous substance use.

Prevention

The most effective form of prevention appears to be a stable family that models responsible attitudes toward mood-altering substances and behaviors. Prevention education programs are also widely used to inform young people of the harmfulness of substance abuse.

Parental Concerns

Parents and guardians need to be aware of the power they have to influence the development of their kids throughout the teenage years. Adolescence brings a new and dramatic stage to family life. The changes that are required are not just the teen's to make; parents need to change their relationship with their teenager. It is best if parents are proactive about the challenges of this life stage, particularly those that pertain to the possibility of experimenting with and using alcohol and other drugs. Parents should not be afraid to talk directly to their kids about drug use, even if they have had problems with drugs or alcohol themselves. Parents should give clear, no-use messages about smoking, drugs, and alcohol. It is important for kids and teens to understand that the rules and expectations set by parents are based on parental love and concern for their well being. Parents should also be actively involved and demonstrate interest in their teen's friends and social activities. Spending quality time with teens and setting good examples are essential. Even if problems such as substance abuse already exist in the teen's life, parents and families can still have a positive influence on their teen's behavior.

Resources

Books

Haugen, Hayley Mitchell. Teen Smoking. Minneapolis, MN: Sagebrush Bound, 2004.

Raczek, Linda Theresa. Teen Addiction. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2003.

Stevens, Sally J., and Andrew R. Morral. Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment in the United States: Exemplary Modelsfrom a National Evaluation Study. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2002.

Townsend, John. Drugs—Teen Issues. Chicago, IL: Raintree, 2004.

Periodicals

Johnson, Kate. "Tobacco Dependence: Even Minimal Exposure Can Cause Rapid Onset; Daily Smoking Not Necessary." Family Practice News (June 15, 2004): 66.

Kaminer, Yifah, and Chris Napolitano. "Dial for Therapy: Aftercare for Adolescent Substance Use Disorders." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (September 2004): 1171.

"SAMHSA Reveals State Estimates of Substance Use for the First Time: Washington, D.C. Ranks Highest in Illegal Drug Use." Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly (August 16, 2004): 31.

"Sexually Active Friends Can Signal Increase in Teen's Substance Abuse Risk." Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week (September 18, 2004): 410.

Sherman, Carl. "Early Disorders Often Precede Substance Abuse." Clinical Psychiatry News (June 2004): 34.

Organizations

Alateen. 1600 Corporate Landing Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA 23454. Web site: www.al-anon.alateen.org.

National Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 3615 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016. Web site: www.aacap.org.

Web Sites

"Fact Sheet: Addiction (Substance Dependence)." New York Presbyterian Hospital. Available online at www.noahhealth.org/english/illness/mentalhealth/cornell/conditions/substdep.html (accessed November 8, 2004).

"National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign." Parents: The Anti-Drug. Available online at www.theantidrug.com (accessed November 8, 2004).

[Article by: Bill Asanjo, MS, CRC Ken R. Wells]



Encyclopedia of Public Health: Addiction and Habituation
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Although there is no definition of "addiction" that is universally accepted, in general, addiction refers to a physiological and psychological dependency on a drug. While some drugs of abuse induce physiological addiction, others do not. Alternatively, some drugs that are physiologically addictive generally are not abused (e.g., caffeine). Tolerance to drug effects, and withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt cessation of use, which develop over time, are characteristic features of physiological addiction. "Habituation" is the term used to refer to psychological dependence on a drug. Some drugs of abuse are highly rewarding because of their influence on reinforcing neurobiological processes, but they do not necessarily result in "tissue" related withdrawal symptoms. Cessation of such drugs may lead primarily to subjective craving due to previous drug conditioning (perhaps true of some marijuana users) and craving may be more readily evoked or deeply conditioned among some persons than others ("addictive personalities"). Primary methods of assessment of addiction and habituation are completed through clinical interviews or self-report surveys (e.g., American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV, World Health Organization ICD-10). Treatment paradigms for the cessation of addiction begin with initial detoxification or withdrawal, followed by inpatient or outpatient program participation (e.g., 12-step programs, milieu, cognitive-behavioral, or behavioral). Pharmacological efforts (e.g., methadone maintenance) may be used as harm-reduction strategies among those who seem unable to quit drug use.

It is estimated that approximately 15 percent of the world's adults have serious substance abuse problems (not including nicotine addiction), and that this percentage has remained fairly constant over the past twenty-five years. Of these substance abusers, about two-thirds abuse alcohol and one-third abuse other substances, mainly marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin. Approximately2.5 percent of the population abuse marijuana, 0.5 percent abuse stimulants, 0.3 percent abuse cocaine or opioids (such as heroin), and up to 0.8 percent abuse other substances (e.g., inhalants, depressants, hallucinogens). Sites of drug production and manufacturing, and distribution routes, tend to identify regions at high risk for abuse.

Drug abuse causes significant health-related consequences and financial losses to legitimate economies. The financial cost to society is estimated to be approximately $600 billion per year worldwide. This does not include the cost of nicotine abuse, which, through its influence on heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, and numerous other consequences, is the number one behavioral killer of people worldwide. Drugs of abuse are also associated with the production of psychotic symptoms (e.g., paranoid ideation) and with injuries due to accidents and violence. Approximately 50 percent of automobile fatalities involve alcohol-impaired drivers, and many auto crashes also involve chronic marijuana or amphetamine users.

In addition, each drug class is associated with a unique set of potential consequences. Some drugs of abuse are likely to have lethal consequences (e.g., opiates and depressants), and some have a high potential for addiction. Health consequences can also vary by drug. For example, depressants, PCP, stimulants, steroids, and cannabis are associated with cardiovascular diseases. Stimulant use is linked to seizure, digestion problems, and lung problems. Documented consequences of marijuana use include lung damage and short-term memory problems. Dementia, seizure, memory impairment, central and peripheral nervous systems impairment, gastrointestinal diseases, and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are all consequences of alcohol consumption. Steroid use is associated with high blood pressure, potential heart attacks, liver tumors, transient infertility, and tendon degeneration. Inhalants are well-known causes of kidney, brain, and liver damage.

The development and maintenance of the addictive process involves multiple pathways and levels of influence within biological, psychological, and sociological domains. Influences exogenous to the individual include environmental, cultural, and social factors. Cultural and social norms, variations in drug use practices, and the values and behaviors of parents, siblings, friends, and role models can all affect an individual's drug experiences. Processes contributing to individual differences in substance use include physiological susceptibility, as measured in genetics studies; affective states; personality; and cognition—including expectancies and memory processes. Substance abuse versus substance use is more strongly related to intra-personal processes (e.g., self-medication for emotional distress) than social processes, although both are influential in the addictive process.

Substance Abuse and Dependence

Substance use pertains simply to the use of a drug. Substance misuse means using a drug for a purpose or in a manner in which it was not intended or prescribed. Substance abuse is marked by an accumulation of negative consequences resulting from drug use. Substance use that leads to a decreased level of performance in major life roles, or to dangerous actions, legal problems, or social problems, indicates abuse. Substance dependence is a more severe form of drug abuse that also includes tolerance (the need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve the desired drug effect), withdrawal symptoms when stopping substance use, unpredictability of substance use, and an inability to control the use of a substance to the point that it consumes one's daily life.

Withdrawal symptoms vary from drug to drug. For example, withdrawal from alcohol, sedatives, or anxiolytic agents may involve autonomic reactivity, hand tremor, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, transient illusions or hallucinations, psycho-motor agitation, anxiety, and grand mal seizures. Amphetamine or cocaine withdrawal can include fatigue, unpleasant and vivid dreams, insomnia or hypersomnia, increased appetite, and psychomotor retardation or agitation. For substance abusers, withdrawal is often a difficult process with numerous symptoms, while abstaining from drug use can lead to recovery from physical and psychological problems and an improvement in overall health.

The Drug Abuse Continuum

Conceptually, substance abuse can be seen as a continuum, with individuals at one end being relatively "disease-free" but engaging in maladaptive behaviors over which they have some control. These individuals may repetitively use drugs, and over time they may abuse drugs. They choose to live a certain lifestyle in which their maladaptive behavior may or may not result in other disease states associated with use (e.g., cirrhosis of the liver). If these individuals stop this negative cycle they can, perhaps on their own, learn alternative coping mechanisms and self-efficacy. Individuals at the other end of the continuum, however, seemingly have no control over their use. Some individuals appear to lose control the first time they use drugs. For these individuals drug use is like a toggle switch that is either on or off. For them, total abstention is the only alternative because they have no control processes once the switch is turned on. They may use until they die unless someone else can turn their switch off and keep it off. There is no logic to this behavior, and no choice. Users of this type will often ruin their own lives and the lives of those around them in their drive to use their drugs of choice. It seems that as one moves toward a more "at-risk" end of the continuum there is less and less control over substance use.

It is unclear what causes the difference in loss of control among those at different points of the continuum. Researchers do not understand the process very well. They do know that other factors may exacerbate the process, including biologically based differences in metabolic processes, different levels of susceptibility to the reinforcing effects of drugs, personality disorders or depression, and an inability to tolerate frustration or emotional discomfort. Some processes are under individual control, but many are not, and it does appear that the less control the individual has over these types of processes, the more likely he or she is to fall into substance abuse.

Stages of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

During the early stages of substance abuse, the alcoholic or drug abuser experiences increasing tolerance and use. Substance use at this stage is generally for purposes of self-medication. In the later stages of abuse, life becomes centered around obtaining, using, and recovering from drug use. Loss of control, ethical deterioration, and noticeable withdrawal symptoms ensue. It is unclear, however, whether such a progression is inevitable.

In a 1991 empirical review of the study of progression in alcoholism, Jill Littrell found that approximately 60 percent of adolescent problem drinkers remit to nonproblematic levels of drinking when they reach their 20s, and that 25 percent of young adults remit to nonproblematic levels of drinking before they reach age 35. Studies examining data on adult alcoholics who have undergone a variety of treatments as inpatients and outpatients during follow-up periods of up to fifteen years provide a general profile of outcomes. Between 25 and 35 percent remain abstinent, whether or not they continue treatment. An additional 15 to 25 percent will be abstinent most of the time, with some lapse periods. Approximately 6 to 9 percent will become nonproblematic or controlled drinkers (particularly those who were lighter drinkers and suffered fewer negative consequences while drinking). Another 20 to 33 percent become stable problematic drinkers, while 15 to 25 percent will die from alcohol-related causes.

It is uncertain whether drug abusers follow a progression similar to that of alcoholics. There probably is some validity to a notion of progression for drug use in general, but more longitudinal studies are needed in this area. It is possible that such a progression might simply express the accumulation of consequences one endures each time one takes a chance by drinking or using drugs. As opposed to the stages outlined above, a substance abuser may simply incur more problems over time, along with an increased tolerance for alcohol or other drugs of abuse.

(SEE ALSO: Abstinence; Alcohol Use and Abuse; Behavior, Health-Related; Cocaine and Crack Cocaine; Drug Abuse Resistance Education [DARE]; Marijuana; Medications Abuse, Elderly; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Smoking Behavior; Smoking Cessation; Substance Abuse, Definition of)

Bibliography

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV). Washington, DC: Author.

Littrell, J. (1991). Understanding and Treating Alcoholism: An Empirically Based Clinician's Handbook for the Treatment of Alcoholism. Norwood, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Newcomb, M., and Earlywine, M. (1996). "Intrapersonal Contributors to Drug Use: The Willing Host." American Behavioral Scientist 39:823–837.

Sussman, S., and Ames, S. L. (2001). The Social Psychology of Drug Use and Abuse. Buckingham: Open University Press.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1998). International Epidemiology Work Group on Drug Abuse 1997 Proceedings. Rockville, MD: NIH Publications No. 98–4208B.

White, T. (1999). UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Global Illicit Drug Trends. New York: United Nations Publication, No. E.99.XI.16, ISBN 92–1-148122–8.

— STEVEN SUSSMAN; SUSAN AMES



Genetics Encyclopedia: Addiction
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Addiction in its broadest sense can be defined as the habituation to a practice considered harmful. A more narrow definition of the term refers to chronic use of a chemical substance in spite of severe psychosocial consequences. Terms such as "workaholic," "sex addict," and "computer junkie" arose to describe behaviors that have features in common with alcoholism and other substance addictions. The most convincing data supporting a role of genetics in addiction has been collected for alcoholism, although genetics most likely has a role in other forms of addiction.

Definitions

In order to assess alcoholism, or any form of addiction, a clear definition of the condition is necessary. The American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization have developed clinical criteria (DSM-IV and ICD10, respectively) that are widely used for the diagnosis of substance-use related disorders. DSM-IV criteria recognizes ten classes of substances (alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, opioids, phencyclidine, and sedatives) that lead to substance dependence, another term for addiction.

The precise diagnostic criteria for dependence vary among substances. DSM-IV defines dependence as manifesting, within a twelve-month period, at least three of the following criteria:

  • Tolerance (increased dose needed to achieve the same affect, or reduced response to the same dose)
  • Withdrawal symptoms
  • Progressive increase in dose or time used
  • Persistent desire for, or failure to reduce substance use
  • Increasing efforts made to obtain substance
  • Social, occupational, or recreational activity is replaced by activity associated with substance use
  • Continued substance use despite recognized physical and psychological consequences

Heritability in Humans

Most family, twin, and adoption studies have shown that addiction to alcohol has significant heritability. For example, there is an increased risk for alcoholism in the relatives of alcoholics. Depending on the study, the risk of alcoholism in siblings of alcoholics is between 1.5 and 4 times the risk for the general population. The identical twins of alcoholics (who share 100 percent of their genes) are more likely to be alcoholics than the fraternal twins of alcoholics (who share only about 50 percent). Adoption study data suggest that the risk for developing alcoholism for adopted children is influenced more by whether their biological parents were alcoholics than whether their adopted parents are alcoholics, suggesting that genes contribute to alcoholism more than environment. Similar but less extensive data has been collected for nicotine addiction. Very little genetic epidemiological data has been collected for illegal drugs.

The only genes that have been conclusively shown to affect susceptibility to addiction in humans are genes that encode proteins responsible for the metabolism of alcohol. In the body, ethanol ("drinking" alchohol) is oxidized by enzymes to acetaldehyde and then to acetate. Certain alleles of aldehyde dehydrogenase genes that are common in some populations, such as Asians, lead to increased levels of acetaldehyde when alcohol is consumed. Acetaldehyde causes an unpleasant flushing reaction that leads to a voluntary reduction of alcohol consumption. The systematic search for other genes that affect susceptibility to alcohol and nicotine addiction in humans has lead to the identification of chromosome loci that may contain genes that affect susceptibility to addiction, but has not lead to the identification of any specific genes.

Models of Addiction

Progress in genetic analysis of addiction in animal models has been more successful. The pharmacologic effects of abused substances can readily be demonstrated in many model systems, from worms to rodents. Rodents can be trained to voluntarily consume alcohol and other abused substances. Once trained, these rodents will expend energy to continue to receive drugs and will display withdrawal symptoms when denied drugs. Chromosomal regions with naturally occurring variants that affect voluntary consumption, intoxication, and withdrawal have been mapped in mice. The specific genes responsible for these effects have not yet been identified.

Cell biology and neurochemistry studies in humans and model systems have identified many molecules that have altered abundance and distribution, enzymes with altered activity, and genes with altered expression resulting from substance abuse. In particular, the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems have been the focus of intense studies. These are brain systems directly involved in many basic responses, including pleasure and reward systems.

To directly test the role of specific genes and pathways, mice have been engineered to delete or over-express genes. Mice lacking any of these genes (called PKCε, DRD2, and DBH) are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and consume less alcohol. In contrast, mice lacking any one of four other genes (PKA regulatory IIβ, NPY, or 5-HT1b) are less sensitive to the effects of alcohol and consume more alcohol. Mice cannot be trained to self-administer alcohol if they lack the Mu opioid receptor, which is involved in transmitting signals to the body's own internal opiate system.

Mutant fruit flies with altered responses to alcohol intoxication have also been created. Two mutants, called "cheapdate" and "amnesiac," arise from different mutations in the same gene. These mutations affect the cellular level of the signal transduction molecule cyclic-AMP. As the names imply, flies with cheapdate mutations are very sensitive to the affects of alcohol, and flies with amnesiac mutations are unable to learn.

The major conclusion from work in model systems is that the pathways and systems involved in addiction are central to normal behaviors with instinctive reward processes, such as feeding and procreation. Addiction is a process that involves learning and the subversion of these basic reward pathways.

Bibliography

American Psychiatric Association Task Force on DSM-IV. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.

Begleiter, Henri, and Benjamin Kissan, eds. The Genetics of Alcoholism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Tamara J. Phillips, et al. "Alcohol Preference and Sensitivity Are Markedly Reduced in Mice Lacking Dopamine D2 Receptors." Nature Neuroscience 1 (1998): 610-615.

Theile, Todd, et al. "Ethanol Consumption and Resistance Are Inversely Related to Neuropeptide Y Levels." Nature 396 (1998): 366-369.

—Kirk C. Wilhelmsen

A state of physiological dependence produced by habitually taking drugs such as morphine, heroin, or alcohol. The term is also applied to a state of psychological dependence produced by drugs such as barbiturates.

Psychoanalysis: Addiction
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The Latin addictus refers to a person who is bound and dependent as a result of unpaid debts. Metaphorically, this term came to be used for any behavior that results from a heavy dependence on something, such as a drug. A number of common substances or those that can be freely purchased can be used as drugs or become addictive substances: medication, alcoholic beverages, glue, and so on. Psychoanalytically, the power of a particular addiction depends both on the unconscious fantasies that underlie the subject's ingestion, and the substance's actual chemical effect.

Sigmund Freud refers to addiction in an early paper on "Hypnosis" (1891d, p. 106), and in a letter to Wilhelm Fliess of December 22, 1897, he refers to masturbation as the "primary addiction" (1950a, p. 272; 1985c, p. 287). Karl Abraham (1908/1927) studied alcohol addiction. Sándor Radó (1933) associated addiction with a regression to childhood. Otto Fenichel (1945) developed the concept of addiction as a regression to infantile stages, and his descriptions of alcohol as a means of diluting the superego are especially interesting. Herbert Rosenfeld (1965) referred to the manic-depressive signs that underlie addiction, and connected addiction to pathological narcissism of the Self. Donald Winnicott (1951/1953) associated addiction with a pathology of the transitional. Winnicott's transitional object, a creation/discovery of the subject, opens up an intermediary zone of experience, which then expands into play and cultural life, while the transitional object is disinvested and loses its meaning. In addiction, this process of opening up and development is held back, and the transitional object continues to carry out its original function (counter-acting depressive anxiety), in the form of a continuing disavowal. The transitional object is concretized, is "fetishized," and becomes susceptible to replacement by a drug as an object that can be manipulated by the omnipotent subject, enabling him to deny the separation and the resulting depression.

A number of authors who have studied compulsive behavior have included a dependence on alcohol or another substance into their inquiry. Dostoyevsky, in The Brothers Karamazov, provides a clear description of the motivations that underlie addictive behavior, such as sexual dependency and pathological games.

Addiction to a substance is sometimes replaced with another form of dependence, for example, addictions to food, to sex with prostitutes, to gambling, to spree-buying, to physical exercise, to web surfing, or to playing video games (whereby the internal world is projected onto the characters who fight, kill, love, or hate on screen). There is also the addiction to pseudo-religious cults, which serves as a substitute for a dependence on and subjugation to drugs. It is important to note that the other can also become an addictive object (McDougall, 1982), serving as a drug might, to fill holes in the subject's identity.

Bibliography

Abraham, Karl. (1927). The psychological relations between sexuality and alcoholism. In Selected papers on psychoanalysis, London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1908)

Freud, Sigmund. (1891d). Hypnosis. SE, 1: 103-114.

——. (1897a). Infantile cerebral paralysis. (Lester A. Russin, Trans.). Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press, 1968.

——. (1950a [1887-1902]). Extracts from the Fliess papers. SE, 1: 173-280.

——. (1985c [1887-1904]). The complete letters of Sigmund Freud to Wilhelm Fliess, 1887-1904 (Jeffrey M. Masson Ed. and Trans.). Cambridge, MA, London: Belknap/Harvard University Press.

Fenichel, Otto. (1945). The psychoanalytic theory of neurosis. New York: W.W. Norton.

McDougall, Joyce. (1982). The narcissistic economy and its relation to primitive sexuality. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 18, 373-396.

Radó, Sándor. (1933). The psychoanalysis of pharmacothymia. Psychoanalytic Quarterly. 2, 1-23.

Rosenfeld, Herbert. (1965). Psychotic states: A psychoanalytic approach. London: Hogarth Press.

Winnicott, Donald W. (1953). Transitional objects and transitional phenomena, a study of the first not-me possession. Collected papers, through paediatrics to psycho-analysis (pp. 229-242). (Reprinted from International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 34 (1951), 89-97.)

—DAVID ROSENFELD

World of the Mind: addiction
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For most people the concept of drug addiction is dominated by images of physical and mental degradation brought about by the use of heroin and cocaine. It is generally forgotten that the most widely used drugs are caffeine (in tea and coffee), nicotine, and alcohol, and that the most successful drug 'pushers' are tobacconists and publicans. Of course the great majority of those who enjoy these drugs are not necessarily addicted, if addiction means a tendency to excessive use of the drug, a craving for it when it is not available, and the development of a variety of physical and psychological symptoms when it is suddenly withdrawn.

Addiction is a difficult word to define, and a World Health Organization expert committee in 1970 substituted the words 'drug dependence'. This is characterized by psychological symptoms such as craving and a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic basis, and physical effects developing when the drug is withheld or is unavailable. Although many drugs will meet these criteria, those of overriding concern are the opiates, alcohol, and the sedatives, particularly barbiturates, all of which cause both physical and psychological symptoms of dependence. Other drugs of significance are stimulants such as cocaine and the amphetamines, the hallucinogens, of which mescaline and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are examples, and cannabis. Most of these drugs do not induce the symptoms of physical dependence associated with abrupt discontinuance, and it is their psychological effects that are the main driving forces behind their continued use. Glue sniffing and the inhalation of volatile solvents by children are probably increased by publicity. None of these substances can be regarded as addictive; apart from the risk of liver damage from the solvents, the chief danger is from asphyxia, should the user place the glue in a plastic bag and pull it over his head. Glue sniffing is a form of behaviour that usually ceases with adolescence — and possibly with legal access to alcoholic drinks.

Although government concern centres principally on the illegal use of heroin, the number of known 'addicts' is relatively small in comparison with the very large number of people who have become dependent on alcohol. Precise figures are impossible to obtain but, as the purchase of alcoholic drinks has increased considerably over the past few decades, so has the number of alcoholics. A well-known formula has related the estimated number of alcoholics in a community to the annual consumption of liquor calculated as pure ethanol per head of population. In Great Britain the overall consumption of alcohol between 1950 and 1976 increased by 87 per cent, and it was estimated that in 1979 there were at least 300,000 alcoholics in the country. Whereas in the past alcoholism and excessive drinking were mainly male attributes, over the past few decades there has been a sharp increase in the number of women damaged by intemperance, a phenomenon which is probably related to the ease of purchase of liquor from supermarkets and other retail outlets, and of its concealment.

The problem of addiction to alcohol is not peculiar to the present. The Romans passed laws to control drunken charioteers and Victorian philanthropy was well acquainted with the evils of drink. Now, as then, excessive drinking results in medical and social damage. Research in Great Britain and Australia has shown that 15–20 per cent of hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from diseases or injuries directly or indirectly brought about by excessive indulgence in alcohol. As its consumption has increased, so have deaths from cirrhosis of the liver and the other diseases it causes, while psychiatric hospitals are familiar with the acute and chronic psychoses due to it. The social damage is not always recognized or acknowledged. In Great Britain, Australia, and the USA, for example, some 50 per cent of deaths and injuries from car crashes and 20–40 per cent of other accidental deaths such as falls, drowning, and incineration can be attributed to the effects of alcohol. It is impossible to obtain accurate figures on the role of alcohol in occupational accidents but there is a striking correlation between the numbers of patients admitted to hospital with alcoholism and those of patients undergoing treatment for injuries sustained at work. The contribution of alcohol to antisocial behaviour is well known: violence in the streets, at football matches, and in the home, and the battering of women and of babies, are all familiar examples of the phenomenon. Criminal behaviour such as rape and homicide can often be attributed to intoxication of the aggressor and, in some cases, of the victim as well. Yet in the West it continues to be a widely advertised drug; the British government reaped tax of £3,900 million from it in 1983–4. As for nicotine, in recent years much publicity has been given to the contribution of tobacco to diseases of the heart and lungs to whose aetiology heavy smoking is an important contributor. Following the introduction of tobacco into England in 1565, James I wrote his trenchant 'Counterblaste to Tobacco' (1604). Wiser than some other rulers, however, he did not attempt to ban its use but placed a tax on it; and governments ever since have found it a singularly lucrative source of revenue.

The reputation of heroin, with its addictive properties, may mislead some people into thinking that other drugs are relatively trouble free. But in the case of sedative drugs, the widespread use of barbiturates — predominantly by middle-aged women — in the 1960s was an epidemic which caused considerable ill health and an increase in the rates of suicide and attempted suicide. For therapeutic use they have been largely superseded by the safer benzodiazepines (Valium, Mogadon, etc. — see psychopharmacology), though these are not so free from addictive potential as was believed initially. Sudden cessation of their regular use by an individual accustomed to them can cause a drug-withdrawal syndrome with both physical and psychological symptoms (Ashton 1984). While their popularity for the control of anxiety, insomnia, and a variety of psychosomatic symptoms is testified to by Tyrer's estimate (1980) that some 40 billion doses were being consumed each day throughout the world, the publicity given to benzodiazepine dependence in recent years has probably influenced doctors towards greater caution in prescribing them for long periods of time. The greater the dose and duration of consumption, the greater is the risk of dependence developing.

Cannabis (also known as marijuana, pot, and hashish) grows wild as hemp in many parts of the world. It was used medicinally in China as long ago as 2737 bc, Herodotus (c.484–425 bc) mentions its being inhaled by Scythians as part of a funeral ritual, and the physician Galen says that it was customary to give hemp to guests at feasts to promote hilarity and happiness. In recent times every kind of evil has been attributed to smokers of marijuana (see Schofield 1971), but the evidence for these baneful effects is far from satisfactory and there are singularly few dangers to health that can be attributed to cannabis alone — though anyone driving while affected by cannabis is at risk, and even more so if alcohol has also been consumed. Few addicts confine their intake to a single substance, and interactions are often more hazardous than the effects of single substances; even so, the cultivation and possession of hemp products are generally prohibited by law. Whether such laws should continue has become a matter for continued debate.

The control of drug trafficking and misuse is based on the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), to which most countries are signatories. This instrument wholly restricts the use of a wide range of substances and requires governments to enforce by punishment its regulations on the cultivation, manufacture, and sale of the drugs listed. Unfortunately, total prohibition of the recreational use of drugs which users are determined to obtain appears to be a singularly unsuccessful policy, as the USA discovered when alcoholic drinks were forbidden for nearly fourteen years from 1919. Attempts by governments to prevent their citizens from smoking tobacco have been equally futile: suppliers were liable to decapitation in ancient China; smokers were tortured to death or exiled to Siberia in tsarist Russia, and had molten lead poured down their throats in Persia; and the popes from time to time threatened excommunication. Similarly, with suppliers and users of opiates and cannabis, the draconian laws of some countries seem not to inhibit those who are prepared to risk apprehension.

In the United Kingdom great emphasis is placed on the control of opiates. In many cities heroin addicts can be treated in special centres, where the main task of the therapist is to wean the addict off the heroin by reducing his daily intake or else to substitute a long-acting opiate, such as methadone, that will block the action of heroin if this continues to be used. In addition, much attention is paid to the addict's life circumstances, with counselling offered by social workers, psychologists, and other members of the centre's staff. Whereas withdrawal of the drug is comparatively easy, the task of ensuring continued abstinence is decidedly difficult, and relapses are commonplace. It is questionable whether young addicts 'mature out' of dependence on reaching an age even of 30–35, yet it is possible that a change in circumstances coupled with a desire to be free from the constant need for opiates and money for their purchase may persuade a sufferer to find other satisfactions in life.

The treatment of alcoholism is scarcely easier, largely because of the ready availability of alcoholic drink: a person persuaded to give up the drink habit in the clinic may suffer immediate relapse on returning to former surroundings. Yet there is evidence to show that some alcoholics can abstain sufficiently to permit a return to 'normal social drinking', an elastic-sided term that depends on the attitudes of a society to drinking behaviour.

(Published 1987)

— F. A. Whitlock

    Bibliography
  • Ashton, H. (1984). 'Benzodiazepine withdrawal: an unfinished story'. British Medical Journal, 1.
  • Davies, D. L. (1962). 'Normal drinking in recovered alcohol addicts'. Quarterly Journal of Studies of Alcohol, 23.
  • Schofield, M. (1971). The Strange Case of Pot.
  • Tyrer, P. (1980). 'Dependence on benzodiazepines'. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137.


Veterinary Dictionary: addiction
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Physiological dependence on some agent, usually a plant, with a tendency to increase its use. Whether true addiction ever occurs in animals is doubtful. Field evidence does point to preferential grazing of some known toxic plants, e.g. Astragalus, Swainsona spp.

  • drug a. — abuse of narcotic drugs is a hazard of veterinary practice because of the availability of addictive agents to registered veterinarians. The same laws apply to members of the veterinary profession as to the medical profession and are designed to protect them against becoming dependent upon any drug. Deregistration and a consequent isolation from the prohibited substances is the usual penalty.
Word Tutor: addiction
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: The state of being obsessed with something, as with drugs.

pronunciation Charlie was addicted to his morning cup of coffee.

 
Blogs: Related blogs on: addiction
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Quotes About: Addiction
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Quotes:

"I feel that any form of so called psychotherapy is strongly contraindicated for addicts. The question Why did you start using narcotics in the first place? should never be asked. It is quite as irrelevant to treatment as it would be to ask a malarial patient why he went to a malarial area." - William S. Burroughs

"It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality. There are more television addicts, more baseball and football addicts, more movie addicts, and certainly more alcohol addicts in this country than there are narcotics addicts." - Shirley Anita Chisholm

"It is not I who become addicted, it is my body." - Jean Cocteau

"If an addict who has been completely cured starts smoking again he no longer experiences the discomfort of his first addiction. There exists, therefore, outside alkaloids and habit, a sense for opium, an intangible habit which lives on, despite the recasting of the organism. The dead drug leaves a ghost behind. At certain hours it haunts the house." - Jean Cocteau

"My case is a species of madness, only that it is a derangement of the Volition, and not of the intellectual faculties." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"In this country, don't forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There's no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it's the worst kind of hell for those who love you." - Billie Holiday

See more famous quotes about Addiction

Wikipedia: Addiction
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Bottle of heroin, an addictive drug

The term "addiction" is used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, or excessive psychological dependence, such as: drug addiction (e.g. alcoholism, nicotine addiction), problem gambling, crime, money, work addiction, compulsive overeating, computer addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction, television addiction, etc.

In medical terminology, an addiction is a chronic neurobiologic disorder that has genetic, psychosocial, and environmental dimensions and is characterized by one of the following: the continued use of a substance despite its detrimental effects, impaired control over the use of a drug (compulsive behavior), and preoccupation with a drug's use for non-therapeutic purposes (i.e. craving the drug).[1] Addiction is often accompanied by the presence of deviant behaviors (for instance stealing money and forging prescriptions) that are used to obtain a drug.[citation needed]

Tolerance to a drug and physical dependence are not defining characteristics of addiction, although they typically accompany addiction to certain drugs. Tolerance is a pharmacologic phenomenon where the dose of a medication needs to be continually increased in order to maintain its desired effects.[2] For instance, individuals with severe chronic pain taking opiate medications (like morphine) will need to continually increase the dose in order to maintain the drug's analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Physical dependence is also a pharmacologic property and means that if a certain drug is abruptly discontinued, an individual will experience certain characteristic withdrawal signs and symptoms.[2] Many drugs used for therapeutic purposes produce withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopped, for instance oral steroids, certain antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opiates.

However, common usage of the term addiction has spread to include psychological dependence. In this context, the term is used in drug addiction and substance abuse problems, but also refers to behaviors that are not generally recognized by the medical community as problems of addiction, such as compulsive overeating.

The term addiction is also sometimes applied to compulsions that are not substance-related, such as problem gambling and computer addiction. In these kinds of common usages, the term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences, as deemed by the user themself to their individual health, mental state, or social life.

Contents

Definition

Not all doctors agree on the exact nature of addiction or dependency [3] however the biopsychosocial model is generally accepted in scientific fields as the most comprehensive theorem for addiction. Historically, addiction has been defined with regard solely to psychoactive substances (for example alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain. However, "studies on phenomenology, family history, and response to treatment suggest that intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, problem gambling, pyromania, and trichotillomania may be related to mood disorders, alcohol and psychoactive substance abuse, and anxiety disorders (especially obsessive–compulsive disorder)."[4] However, such disorders are classified by the American Psychological Association as impulse control disorders and therefore not as addictions.

Many people, both psychology professionals and laypersons, now feel that there should be accommodation made to include psychological dependency on such things as gambling, food, sex, pornography, computers, work, exercise, spiritual obsession (as opposed to religious devotion), cutting and shopping so these behaviors count as 'addictions' as well and cause guilt, shame, fear, hopelessness, failure, rejection, anxiety, or humiliation symptoms associated with, among other medical conditions, depression and epilepsy.[5][6][7][8] Although, the above mentioned are things or tasks which, when used or performed, do not fit into the traditional view of addiction and may be better defined as an obsessive–compulsive disorder, withdrawal symptoms may occur with abatement of such behaviors. It is said by those who adhere to a traditionalist view that these withdrawal-like symptoms are not strictly reflective of an addiction, but rather of a behavioral disorder. However, understanding of neural science, the brain, the nervous system, human behavior, and affective disorders has revealed "the impact of molecular biology in the mechanisms underlying developmental processes and in the pathogenesis of disease".[9] The use of thyroid hormones as an effective adjunct treatment for affective disorders has been studied over the past three decades and has been confirmed repeatedly.[10] Modern research into addiction is generally focused on Dopaminergic pathways. There is great and sometimes heated debate around the definition of addiction with parties falling into two main camps the Disease model of addiction and the behaviorists, explanations of various models can be found in the article on Drug rehabilitation.

Varied forms of addiction

In the United States, physical dependence, abuse of, and withdrawal from drugs and other substances is outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV TR). It does not use the word 'addiction' at all. It has instead a section about Substance dependence:

"Substance dependence When an individual persists in use of alcohol or other drugs despite problems related to use of the substance, substance dependence may be diagnosed. Compulsive and repetitive use may result in tolerance to the effect of the drug and withdrawal symptoms when use is reduced or stopped. This, along with Substance Abuse are considered Substance Use Disorders..."[11]

Terminology has become quite complicated in the field. Pharmacologists continue to speak of addiction from a physiologic standpoint (some call this a physical dependence); psychiatrists refer to the disease state as psychological dependence; most other physicians refer to the disease as addiction. The field of psychiatry is now considering,[citation needed] as they move from DSM-IV to DSM-V, transitioning from "substance dependence" to "addiction" as terminology for the disease state.

The medical community now makes a careful theoretical distinction between physical dependence (characterized by symptoms of withdrawal) and psychological dependence (or simply addiction). Addiction is now narrowly defined as "uncontrolled, compulsive use"; if there is no harm being suffered by, or damage done to, the patient or another party, then clinically it may be considered compulsive, but to the definition of some it is not categorized as 'addiction'. In practice, the two kinds of addiction are not always easy to distinguish. Addictions often have both physical and psychological components.

There is also a lesser known situation called pseudo-addiction.[12] A patient will exhibit drug-seeking behavior reminiscent of psychological addiction, but they tend to have genuine pain or other symptoms that have been under-treated. Unlike true psychological addiction, these behaviors tend to stop when the pain is adequately treated. The obsolete term physical addiction is deprecated, because of its connotations. In modern pain management with opioids physical dependence is nearly universal. While opiates are essential in the treatment of acute pain, the benefit of this class of medication in chronic pain is not well proven.[citation needed] Clearly, there are those who would not function well without opiate treatment; on the other hand, many states are noting significant increases in non-intentional deaths related to opiate use.[citation needed] High-quality, long-term studies are needed to better delineate the risks and benefits of chronic opiate use.

Physical dependency

Physical dependence on a substance is defined by the appearance of characteristic withdrawal symptoms when the substance is suddenly discontinued. Opiates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol and nicotine induce physical dependence. On the other hand, some categories of substances share this property and are still not considered addictive: cortisone, beta blockers and most antidepressants are examples. So, while physical dependency can be a major factor in the psychology of addiction and most often becomes a primary motivator in the continuation of an addiction, the initial primary attribution of an addictive substance is usually its ability to induce pleasure, although with continued use the goal is not so much to induce pleasure as it is to relieve the anxiety caused by the absence of a given addictive substance, causing it to become used compulsively.

Some substances induce physical dependence or physiological tolerance - but not addiction - for example many laxatives, which are not psychoactive; nasal decongestants, which can cause rebound congestion if used for more than a few days in a row; and some antidepressants, most notably venlafaxine, paroxetine and sertraline, as they have quite short half-lives, so stopping them abruptly causes a more rapid change in the neurotransmitter balance in the brain than many other antidepressants. Many non-addictive prescription drugs should not be suddenly stopped, so a doctor should be consulted before abruptly discontinuing them.

The speed with which a given individual becomes addicted to various substances varies with the substance, the frequency of use, the means of ingestion, the intensity of pleasure or euphoria, and the individual's genetic and psychological susceptibility. Some people may exhibit alcoholic tendencies from the moment of first intoxication, while most people can drink socially without ever becoming addicted. Opioid dependent individuals have different responses to even low doses of opioids than the majority of people, although this may be due to a variety of other factors, as opioid use heavily stimulates pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters in the brain. Nonetheless, because of these variations, in addition to the adoption and twin studies that have been well replicated, much of the medical community is satisfied that addiction is in part genetically moderated. That is, one's genetic makeup may regulate how susceptible one is to a substance and how easily one may become psychologically attached to a pleasurable routine.

Eating disorders are complicated pathological mental illnesses and thus are not the same as addictions described in this article. Eating disorders, which some argue are not addictions at all, are driven by a multitude of factors, most of which are highly different than the factors behind addictions described in this article. It has been reported, however, that patients with eating disorders can successfully be treated with the same non-pharmacological protocols used in patients with chemical addiction disorders.[13] Gambling is another potentially addictive behavior with some biological overlap. Conversely gambling urges have emerged with the administration of Mirapex (pramipexole), a dopamine agonist.[14]

The DSM definition of addiction can be boiled down to compulsive use of a substance (or engagement in an activity) despite ongoing negative consequences—this is also a summary of what used to be called "psychological dependency." Physical dependence, on the other hand, is simply needing a substance to function. Humans are all physically dependent on oxygen, food and water. A drug can cause physical dependence and not addiction (for example, some blood pressure medications, which can produce fatal withdrawal symptoms if not tapered) and can cause addiction without physical dependence (the withdrawal symptoms associated with cocaine are all psychological, there is no associated vomiting or diarrhea as there is with opioid withdrawal).

In the now outdated conceptualization of the problem, psychological dependency leads to psychological withdrawal symptoms (such as cravings, irritability, insomnia, depression, anorexia, etc). Addiction can in theory be derived from any rewarding behaviour, and is believed to be strongly associated with the dopaminergic system of the brain's reward system (as in the case of cocaine and amphetamines). Some claim that it is a habitual means to avoid undesired activity, but typically it is only so to a clinical level in individuals who have emotional, social, or psychological dysfunctions (psychological addiction is defined as such), replacing normal positive stimuli not otherwise attained.

A person who is physically dependent, but not psychologically dependent can have their dose slowly dropped until they are no longer physically dependent. However, if that person is psychologically dependent, they are still at serious risk for relapse into abuse and subsequent physical dependence.

Psychological dependence does not have to be limited only to substances; even activities and behavioural patterns can be considered addictions, if they become uncontrollable, e.g. problem gambling, Internet addiction, computer addiction, sexual addiction / pornography addiction, overeating, self-injury, compulsive buying, or work addiction.

Addiction and drug control legislation

Most countries have legislation which brings various drugs and drug-like substances under the control of licensing systems. Typically this legislation covers any or all of the opiates, amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine, barbiturates, hallucinogens (tryptamines, LSD, phencyclidine(PCP), psilocybin) and a variety of more modern synthetic drugs, and unlicensed production, supply or possession may be a criminal offense.

Usually, however, drug classification under such legislation is not related simply to addictiveness. The substances covered often have very different addictive properties. Some are highly prone to cause physical dependency, whilst others rarely cause any form of compulsive need whatsoever.

Also, although the legislation may be justifiable on moral grounds to some, it can make addiction or dependency a much more serious issue for the individual. Reliable supplies of a drug become difficult to secure as illegally produced substances may have contaminants. Withdrawal from the substances or associated contaminants can cause additional health issues and the individual becomes vulnerable to both criminal abuse and legal punishment. Criminal elements that can be involved in the profitable trade of such substances can also cause physical harm to users.

Methods of care

Early editions of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) described addiction as a physical dependency to a substance that resulted in withdrawal symptoms in its absence. Recent editions, including DSM-IV, have moved toward a diagnostic instrument that classifies such conditions as dependency, rather than addiction. The American Society of Addiction Medicine recommends treatment for people with chemical dependency based on patient placement criteria (currently listed in PPC-2), which attempt to match levels of care according to clinical assessments in six areas, including:

  • Acute intoxication and/or withdrawal potential
  • Biomedical conditions or complications
  • Emotional/behavioral conditions or complications
  • Treatment acceptance/resistance
  • Relapse potential
  • Recovery environment

Some medical systems, including those of at least 15 states of the United States, refer to an Addiction Severity Index[15] to assess the severity of problems related to substance use. The index assesses problems in six areas: medical, employment/support, alcohol and other drug use, legal, family/social, and psychiatric.

While addiction or dependency is related to seemingly uncontrollable urges, and arguably could have roots in genetic predispositions, treatment of dependency is conducted by a wide range of medical and allied professionals, including Addiction Medicine specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and appropriately trained nurses, social workers, and counselors. Early treatment of acute withdrawal often includes medical detoxification, which can include doses of anxiolytics or narcotics to reduce symptoms of withdrawal. An experimental drug, ibogaine,[16] is also proposed to treat withdrawal and craving. Alternatives to medical detoxification include acupuncture detoxification. A wide variety of controlled clinical trials, outcome summaries and anecdotal reports about the use of acupuncture in addiction treatment have been appearing since the 1970s in journals specializing in addictions, mental health, public health, criminal justice and acupuncture. These reports differed vastly in terms of methodology, populations studied, statistical sophistication and clinical relevance as well as in their findings about the value of acupuncture. A sub-category of this published work has focused specifically on acupuncture detoxification. In chronic opiate addiction, a surrogate drug such as methadone is sometimes offered as a form of opiate replacement therapy. But treatment approaches universal focus on the individual's ultimate choice to pursue an alternate course of action.

Therapists often classify patients with chemical dependencies as either interested or not interested in changing. Treatments usually involve planning for specific ways to avoid the addictive stimulus, and therapeutic interventions intended to help a client learn healthier ways to find satisfaction. Clinical leaders in recent years have attempted to tailor intervention approaches to specific influences that affect addictive behavior, using therapeutic interviews in an effort to discover factors that led a person to embrace unhealthy, addictive sources of pleasure or relief from pain.

Treatment Modality Matrix
Behavioral Pattern Intervention Goals
Low self-esteem, anxiety, verbal hostility Relationship therapy, client centered approach Increase self esteem, reduce hostility and anxiety
Defective personal constructs, ignorance of interpersonal means Cognitive restructuring including directive and group therapies Insight
Focal anxiety such as fear of crowds Desensitization Change response to same cue
Undesirable behaviors, lacking appropriate behaviors Aversive conditioning, operant conditioning, counter conditioning Eliminate or replace behavior
Lack of information Provide information Have client act on information
Difficult social circumstances Organizational intervention, environmental manipulation, family counseling Remove cause of social difficulty
Poor social performance, rigid interpersonal behavior Sensitivity training, communication training, group therapy Increase interpersonal repertoire, desensitization to group functioning
Grossly bizarre behavior Medical referral Protect from society, prepare for further treatment
Adapted from: Essentials of Clinical Dependency Counseling, Aspen Publishers

From the applied behavior analysis literature and the behavioral psychology literature several evidenced based intervention programs have emerged (1) behavioral maritial therapy (2) community reinforcement approach (3) cue exposure therapy and (4) contingency management strategies.[17][18] In addition, the same author suggest that Social skills training adjunctive to inpatient treatment of alcohol dependence is probably efficacious.

Diverse explanations

Several explanations (or "models") have been presented to explain addiction. These divide, more or less, into the models which stress biological or genetic causes for addiction, and those which stress social or purely psychological causes. Of course there are also many models which attempt to see addiction as both a physiological and a psycho-social phenomenon.

  • The disease model of addiction holds that addiction is a disease, coming about as a result of either the impairment of neurochemical or behavioral processes, or of some combination of the two. Within this model, addictive disease is treated by specialists in Addiction Medicine. Within the clinical field, the American Medical Association, National Association of Social Workers, and American Psychological Association all have policies which are predicated on the theory that addictive processes represent a disease state. Most treatment approaches, as well, are based on the idea that dependencies are behavioral dysfunctions, and, therefore, contain, at least to some extent, elements of physical or mental disease. Organizations such as the American Society of Addiction Medicine believe the research-based evidence for addiction's status as a disease is overwhelming.
  • The pleasure model proposed by professor Nils Bejerot. Addiction "is an emotional fixation (sentiment) acquired through learning, which intermittently or continually expresses itself in purposeful, stereotyped behavior with the character and force of a natural drive, aiming at a specific pleasure or the avoidance of a specific discomfort." "The pleasure mechanism may be stimulated in a number of ways and give rise to a strong fixation on repetitive behavior. Stimulation with drugs is only one of many ways, but one of the simplest, strongest,and often also the most destructive" "If the pleasure stimulation becomes so strong that it captivates an individual with the compulsion and force characteristic of natural drives, then there exists...an addiction"[19] The pleasure model is used as one of the reason for zero tolerance for use of illicit drugs.
  • The genetic model posits a genetic predisposition to certain behaviors. It is frequently noted that certain addictions "run in the family," and while researchers continue to explore the extent of genetic influence, many researchers argue that there is strong evidence that genetic predisposition is often a factor in dependency.
  • The experiential model devised by Stanton Peele argues that addictions occur with regard to experiences generated by various involvements, whether drug-induced or not. This model is in opposition to the disease, genetic, and neurobiological approaches. Among other things, it proposes that addiction is both more temporary or situational than the disease model claims, and is often outgrown through natural processes.
  • The opponent-process model generated by Richard Soloman states that for every psychological event A will be followed by its opposite psychological event B. For example, the pleasure one experiences from heroin is followed by an opponent process of withdrawal, or the terror of jumping out of an airplane is rewarded with intense pleasure when the parachute opens. This model is related to the opponent process color theory. If you look at the color red then quickly look at a gray area you will see green. There are many examples of opponent processes in the nervous system including taste, motor movement, touch, vision, and hearing. Opponent-processes occurring at the sensory level may translate "down-stream" into addictive or habit-forming behavior.
  • The allostatic (stability through change) model generated by George Koob and Michel LeMoal is a modification of the opponent process theory where continued use of a drug leads to a spiralling of uncontrolled use, negative emotional states and withdrawal and a shift into use to new allostatic set point which is lower than that maintained before use of the drug.[20]
  • The cultural model recognizes that the influence of culture is a strong determinant of whether or not individuals fall prey to certain addictions. For example, alcoholism is rare among Saudi Arabians, where obtaining alcohol is difficult and using alcohol is prohibited. In North America, on the other hand, the incidence of gambling addictions soared in the last two decades of the 20th century, mirroring the growth of the gaming industry. Half of all patients diagnosed as alcoholic are born into families where alcohol is used heavily, suggesting that familiar influence, genetic factors, or more likely both, play a role in the development of addiction. What also needs to be noted is that when people don't gain a sense of moderation through their development they can be just as likely, if not more, to abuse substances than people born into alcoholic families.[citation needed]
  • The moral model states that addictions are the result of human weakness, and are defects of character. Those who advance this model do not accept that there is any biological basis for addiction. They often have scant sympathy for people with serious addictions, believing either that a person with greater moral strength could have the force of will to break an addiction, or that the addict demonstrated a great moral failure in the first place by starting the addiction. The moral model is widely applied to dependency on illegal substances, perhaps purely for social or political reasons, but is no longer widely considered to have any therapeutic value. Elements of the moral model, especially a focus on individual choices, have found enduring roles in other approaches to the treatment of dependencies.
  • Finally, the blended model attempts to consider elements of all other models in developing a therapeutic approach to dependency. It holds that the mechanism of dependency is different for different individuals, and that each case must be considered on its own merits.

Neurobiological basis

The development of addiction is thought to involve a simultaneous process of 1) increased focus on and engagement in a particular behavior and 2) the attenuation or "shutting down" of other behaviors. For example, under certain experimental circumstances such as social deprivation and boredom, animals allowed the unlimited ability to self-administer certain psychoactive drugs will show such a strong preference that they will forgo food, sleep, and sex for continued access. The neuro-anatomical correlate of this is that the brain regions involved in driving goal-directed behavior grow increasingly selective for particular motivating stimuli and rewards, to the point that the brain regions involved in the inhibition of behavior can no longer effectively send "stop" signals. A good analogy is to imagine flooring the gas pedal in a car with very bad brakes. In this case, the limbic system is thought to be the major "driving force" and the orbitofrontal cortex is the substrate of the top-down inhibition.

A specific portion of the limbic circuit known as the mesolimbic dopaminergic system is hypothesized to play an important role in translation of motivation to motor behavior- and reward-related learning in particular. It is typically defined as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the nucleus accumbens, and the bundle of dopamine-containing fibers that are connecting them. This system is commonly implicated in the seeking out and consumption of rewarding stimuli or events, such as sweet-tasting foods or sexual interaction. However, its importance to addiction research goes beyond its role in "natural" motivation: while the specific site or mechanism of action may differ, all known drugs of abuse have the common effect in that they elevate the level of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This may happen directly, such as through blockade of the dopamine re-uptake mechanism (see cocaine). It may also happen indirectly, such as through stimulation of the dopamine-containing neurons of the VTA that synapse onto neurons in the accumbens (see opiates). The euphoric effects of drugs of abuse are thought to be a direct result of the acute increase in accumbal dopamine.[22]

The human body has a natural tendency to maintain homeostasis, and the central nervous system is no exception. Chronic elevation of dopamine will result in a decrease in the number of dopamine receptors available in a process known as downregulation. The decreased number of receptors changes the permeability of the cell membrane located post-synaptically, such that the post-synaptic neuron is less excitable- i.e.: less able to respond to chemical signaling with an electrical impulse, or action potential. It is hypothesized that this dulling of the responsiveness of the brain's reward pathways contributes to the inability to feel pleasure, known as anhedonia, often observed in addicts. The increased requirement for dopamine to maintain the same electrical activity is the basis of both physiological tolerance and withdrawal associated with addiction.

Downregulation can be classically conditioned. If a behavior consistently occurs in the same environment or contingently with a particular cue, the brain will adjust to the presence of the conditioned cues by decreasing the number of available receptors in the absence of the behavior. It is thought that many drug overdoses are not the result of a user taking a higher dose than is typical, but rather that the user is administering the same dose in a new environment.

In cases of physical dependency on depressants of the central nervous system such as opioids, barbiturates, or alcohol, the absence of the substance can lead to symptoms of severe physical discomfort. Withdrawal from alcohol or sedatives such as barbiturates or benzodiazepines (valium-family) can result in seizures and even death. By contrast, withdrawal from opioids, which can be extremely uncomfortable, is rarely if ever life-threatening. In cases of dependence and withdrawal, the body has become so dependent on high concentrations of the particular chemical that it has stopped producing its own natural versions (endogenous ligands) and instead produces opposing chemicals. When the addictive substance is withdrawn, the effects of the opposing chemicals can become overwhelming. For example, chronic use of sedatives (alcohol, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines) results in higher chronic levels of stimulating neurotransmitters such as glutamate. Very high levels of glutamate kill nerve cells, a phenomenon called excitatory neurotoxicity.

Criticism

Thomas Szasz denies that addiction is a psychiatric problem. In many of his works, he argues that addiction is a choice, and that a drug addict is one who simply prefers a socially taboo substance rather than, say, a low risk lifestyle. In Our Right to Drugs, Szasz cites the biography of Malcolm X to corroborate his economic views towards addiction: Malcolm claimed that quitting cigarettes was harder than shaking his heroin addiction. Szasz postulates that humans always have a choice, and it is foolish to call someone an 'addict' just because they prefer a drug induced euphoria to a more popular and socially welcome lifestyle.

Professor John Booth Davies at the University of Strathclyde has argued in his book The Myth of Addiction that 'people take drugs because they want to and because it makes sense for them to do so given the choices available' as opposed to the view that 'they are compelled to by the pharmacology of the drugs they take'.[23] He uses an adaptation of attribution theory (what he calls the theory of functional attributions) to argue that the statement 'I am addicted to drugs' is functional, rather than veridical. Stanton Peele has put forward similar views.

Experimentally, Bruce K. Alexander used the classic experiment of Rat Park to show that 'addicted' behaviour in rats only occurred when the rats had no other options. When other options and behavioural opportunities were put in place, the rats soon showed far more complex behaviours.

Casual addiction

The word addiction is also sometimes used colloquially to refer to something for which a person has a passion, such as books, chocolate, work, the web, running, postage stamp collecting, or eating.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Consensus Document: The American Academy of Pain Medicine, The American Pain Society, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2001
  2. ^ a b Consensus Document: The American Academy of Pain Medicine, The American Pain Society, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2001
  3. ^ Goodman A (November 1990). "Addiction: definition and implications". Br J Addict 85 (11): 1403–8. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1990.tb01620.x. PMID 2285834. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119381659/abstract. 
  4. ^ McElroy, S.L.; J.I. Hudson, Hg. Pope Jr, P.E. Keck Jr and H.G. Aizley (1992). "The DSM-III-R impulse control disorders not elsewhere classified: clinical characteristics and relationship to other psychiatric disorders". American Journal of Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.) 149 (3): 318–327. PMID 1536268. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/149/3/318. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  5. ^ Taylor, C.Z. (March 2002). "Religious Addiction: Obsession with Spirituality". Pastoral Psychology (Springer Netherlands) 50 (4): 291–315. doi:10.1023/A:1014074130084. http://www.springerlink.com/content/9ner79ge7kntx3hp/. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  6. ^ "Depression". The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press. 2007. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0815204.html. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  7. ^ Nowack, W.J. (2006-08-29). "Psychiatric Disorders Associated With Epilepsy". eMedicine Specialities. WebMD. http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic604.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  8. ^ Beck, D.A. (2007). "Psychiatric Disorders due to General Medical Conditions" (PDF). Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri-Columbia. http://www.umcpsychiatry.com/medstudents/Psychiatryic%20Disorder%20Due%20to%20General%20Medical%20Conditions-Outline.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  9. ^ Kandel, E.R.; J.H. Schwartz, T.M. Jessell (2000). Principles of Neural Science. Magraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0071120005. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yzEFK7Xc87YC&oi=fnd&pg=PR35&dq=psychiatry+behavior+mood+disorders+addiction+hormones&ots=5yowgvrIK5&sig=fMAFWjZKzazKOIIh8yXzoWx_K3s#PPP1,M1. 
  10. ^ Bauer, M.; A. Heinz, P.C. Whybrow (2002). "Thyroid hormones, serotonin and mood: of synergy and significance in the adult brain". Molecular Psychiatry (Nature) 7 (2): 140–156. doi:10.1038/sj/mp/4000963. PMID 11840307. http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v7/n2/abs/4000963a.html. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  11. ^ DSM-IV & DSM-IV-TR:Substance Dependence
  12. ^ Weissman, D.E.; J.D. Haddox (1989). "Opioid pseudoaddiction--an iatrogenic syndrome". Pain (International Association for the Study of Pain) 36 (3): 363–366. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(89)90097-3. PMID 2710565. 
  13. ^ AJ Giannini, M Keller, GC Colapietro, SM Melemis, N Leskovac, T Timcisko. Comparison of alternative treatment techniques in bulimia: The chemical dependency approach. Psychological Reports. 82(2):451-458, 1998.
  14. ^ AJ Giannini. Drugs of Abuse--Second Edition. Los Angeles, Practice Management Information Corporation, 1997.
  15. ^ Butler SF, Budman SH, Goldman RJ, Newman FL, Beckley KE, Trottier D. Initial Validation of a Computer-Administered Addiction Severity Index: The ASI-MV Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 2001 March
  16. ^ Alper KR, Lotsof HS, Kaplan CD (January 2008). "The ibogaine medical subculture". J Ethnopharmacol 115 (1): 9–24. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.08.034. PMID 18029124. 
  17. ^ O'Donohue, W; K.E. Ferguson (2006). "Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology and Behavior Analysis" ([dead link]Scholar search). The Behavior Analyst Today (Joseph D. Cautilli) 7 (3): 335–350. http://www.behavior-analyst-today.com/VOL-7/BAT-7-3.PDF. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  18. ^ Chambless et al., D.L. (1998). "[www.apa.org/divisions/div12/est/newrpt.pdf An update on empirically validated therapies]" (PDF). Clinical Psychology (American Psychological Association) 49: 5–14. www.apa.org/divisions/div12/est/newrpt.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 
  19. ^ Nils Bejerot in Theories of Drug abuse, Selected contemporary perspectives, page 246-255, NIDA, 1980
  20. ^ Koob GF, Le Moal M (February 2001). "Drug addiction, dysregulation of reward, and allostasis". Neuropsychopharmacology 24 (2): 97–129. doi:10.1016/S0893-133X(00)00195-0. PMID 11120394. 
  21. ^ Buckley, William F., Szasz, Professor Thomas Stephen. (1973). Drugs and Freedom. [Partial transcript]. 
  22. ^ Wise RA (April 1996). "Neurobiology of addiction". Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 6 (2): 243–51. doi:10.1016/S0959-4388(96)80079-1. PMID 8725967. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959-4388(96)80079-1. 
  23. ^ Davies, John Booth (1998-01-18). The Myth of Addiction. Psychology Press Ltd (2nd rev edition). ISBN 978-9057022371. http://www.druglibrary.org/special/davies/mythprologue.htm. 

Further reading

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Translations: Addiction
Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - forfaldenhed, afhængighed, hang, misbrug

Nederlands (Dutch)
verslaving

Français (French)
n. - accoutumance, penchant, goût très fort, (Méd) dépendance

Deutsch (German)
n. - Sucht

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - εθισμός, εξάρτηση, έξη, ροπή

Italiano (Italian)
assuefazione, dipendenza

idioms:

  • drug addiction    tossicodipendenza

Português (Portuguese)
n. - devoção (f), hábito (m), apego (m), vício (m)

idioms:

  • drug addiction    dependência (f) de drogas

Русский (Russian)
пагубная зависимость

idioms:

  • drug addiction    наркомания

Español (Spanish)
n. - adicción, vicio

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hängivenhet, böjelse, missbruk

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
沉溺, 上瘾, 入迷

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 沈溺, 上癮, 入迷

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 탐닉, 전념

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 耽溺, 熱狂的傾倒

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) إدمان‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮התמכרות‬


 
 

 

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