“Scientific research into addiction ... has led experts to conclude that addiction is actually a disease, a chronic illness like diabetes or hypertension.” —Janet Firshein, independent health writer and former editor of Medicine and...

“Absent a clear definition of addiction, researchers will continue finding it very difficult to determine addiction prevalence rates, etiology, or the necessary and sufficient causes that stimulate recovery.” —Howard J. Shaffer,...

This article deals with a number of concepts related to the basic nature of addiction, that are widely used but often misused, and that have undergone significant changes since the term addiction first came into the common vocabulary. In the following...

Addiction is a dependence on a substance, such as the drug heroin, or a type of behavior, such as gambling. The dependence is so strong that it may seem as if the person is unable to break away from the dependence. At one time, the term...

Understanding the nature of addiction depends on understanding several related concepts. The following discussion explains and clarifies those concepts. In everyday English, abuse is understood to mean practices that are in some way improper or cruel,...

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...

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (4601 North Park Avenue, Arcade Suite 101, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; 301-656-3920; http://www.asam.org) is a not-forprofit organization of physicians in all medical specialties and subspecialties who devote a...

Addiction is a dependence, on a behavior or substance, 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...

Chronic alcohol abuse—heavy drinking over a long period—can seriously damage a person's well-being, not only physically but mentally. A chronic drinker may lose the ability to pay attention and concentrate. He or she may become...

(formerly the British Journal of Addictions) is the oldest specialist journal in its field, originating in 1884 as the Proceedings for the Society for the Study and Cure of Inebriety. The boundvolumes provide a unique perspective on the historical...

The term 'addiction' was used to describe a devotion, attachment, dedication, inclination, etc. Nowadays, however, the term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful...