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Addiction is a chronic brain disease.

Get the facts about how addiction affects our bodies, our brains, and our behavior, while learning about the biological and psychological factors that often drive addiction.

What is addiction?

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.¹

In the United States, 8-10% of people over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol or other drugs. That's approximately 22 million people. 2 (Cigarette smoking is also an addiction that kills people.)

Addiction is chronic-but it's also preventable and treatable

When a disease is chronic, that means it's long-lasting. It can't be cured, but it can be managed with treatment. Other examples of chronic diseases include asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.

It is critical that treatment simultaneously addresses any co-occurring neurological or psychological disorders that are known to drive vulnerable individuals to experiment with drugs and become addicted in the first place. Learn more about the connection between addiction and mental health.

Addiction is a medical illness

Respected institutions like the American Medical Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine define addiction as a disease. ³ Studies published in top-tier publications like The New England Journal of Medicine support the position that addiction is a brain disease. ⁴

A disease is a condition that changes the way an organ functions. Addiction does this to the brain, changing the brain on a physiological level. It literally alters the way the brain works, rewiring its fundamental structure. That's why scientists say addiction is a disease.

Although there is no cure for addiction, there are many evidence-based treatments that are effective at managing the illness. Like all chronic illnesses, addiction requires ongoing management that may include medication, therapy, and lifestyle change. Once in recovery from substance use disorder, a person can go on to live a healthy and successful life. Addiction is treatable, and recovery should be the expected outcome of treatment.

How does addiction change the brain?

The human brain is wired to reward us when we do something pleasurable. Exercising, eating, and other pleasurable behaviors directly linked to our health and survival trigger the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. This not only makes us feel good, but it encourages us to keep doing what we're doing. It teaches our brains to repeat the behavior. ⁵

Drugs trigger that same part of the brain-the reward system. But they do it to an extreme extent, rewiring the brain in harmful ways.

When someone takes a drug, their brain releases extreme amounts of dopamine-way more than gets released as a result of a natural pleasurable behavior. The brain overreacts, reducing dopamine production in an attempt to normalize these sudden, sky-high levels the drugs have created. And this is how the cycle of addiction begins.

Once someone is addicted, they're not using drugs to feel good - they're using drugs to feel normal

Studies have shown that consistent drug use severely limits a person's capacity to feel pleasure. at all. ⁶ Over time, drug use leads to much smaller releases of dopamine. That means the brain's reward center is less receptive to pleasure and enjoyment, both from drugs, as well as from every day sources, like relationships or activities that a person once enjoyed. Once the brain has been altered by drug use, it requires more and more drugs just to function at a baseline level. ⁷

Withdrawal is a painful, whole-body experience

Withdrawal happens when a person who's addicted to a substance stops taking it completely: either in an attempt to quit cold turkey, or because they don't have access to the drug. Someone in withdrawal feels absolutely terrible: depressed, despondent, and physically ill.

An addicted brain causes behavior changes

Brain imaging studies from drug-addicted individuals show physical, measurable changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning and memory, and behavior control. Scientists believe that these changes alter the way the brain works, and may help explain the compulsive and destructive behaviors of addiction. ⁸

A promising student might see his grades slip. A bubbly social butterfly might suddenly have trouble getting out of bed. A trustworthy sibling might start stealing or lying. Behavioral changes are directly linked to the drug user's changing brain.

Cravings take over. These cravings are painful, constant, and distracting. ⁹ The person can't stop seeking out drugs, no matter the consequences, often resulting in compulsive and destructive behaviors. Especially given the intensity of withdrawal symptoms, the body wants to avoid being in withdrawal at all costs.

What fosters addiction? Science says there are three main factors.

The first time a person tries alcohol or another drug, it's a voluntary choice. But at some point during use, a switch gets flipped within the brain and the decision to use is no longer voluntary. As the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse puts it, it's as if an addicted person's brains has been hijacked.

Anyone who tries a substance can become addicted, and research shows that the majority of Americans are at risk of developing addiction. Over 40% of 13-14 year olds, and over 75% of 17-18 year olds, report that they've tried alcohol. What's more, 42% of 17-18 year olds report that they've tried illicit drugs. ¹⁰

After initial exposure, no one chooses how their brain will react to drugs or alcohol. So why do some people develop addiction, while others don't?

All this scientific evidence points to one bottom line: addiction is not a moral failing.

Addiction is not a choice. It's not a moral failing, or a character flaw, or something that "bad people" do. Most scientists and experts agree that it's an illness that is caused by biology, environment, and other factors.

Harmful consequences, shame, and punishment are simply not effective ways to end addiction. A person can't undo the damage drugs have done to their brain through sheer willpower. Like other chronic illnesses, such as asthma or type 2 diabetes, ongoing management of addiction is required for long-term recovery. This can include medication, behavioral therapy, peer-support, and lifestyle modifications.

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Addiction is a chronic brain disease. Get the facts about how addiction affects our bodies, our brains, and our behavior, while learning about the biological and psychological factors that often drive addiction. What is addiction?

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How the surrounding can make a difference on the disease

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How the surrounding can make a difference on the disease

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Identifying how drug addiction is developed 

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Identifying how drug addiction is developed 

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Wait21 -- Understanding Addiction as a Disease

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Wait 21 Originally published on Sep 13, 2013 "Why Wait 21? Because drinking before 21 significantly increases your risk for addiction. Learn how addiction works and what you can do to prevent it. Who We Are: We all know addiction, but very few people understand it.

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Brain scans of drug addicts and heart disease patients have similar outcomes

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Brain scans of drug addicts and heart disease patients have similar outcomes

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what they do to the mind and body

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Many people don't understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to. Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain and have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives.

What Is drug addiction?

Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person's self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. These brain changes can be persistent, which is why drug addiction is considered a "relapsing" disease-people in recovery from drug use disorders are at increased risk for returning to drug use even after years of not taking the drug.

It's common for a person to relapse, but relapse doesn't mean that treatment doesn't work. As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and should be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient's changing needs.

Video: Why are Drugs So Hard to Quit?

What happens to the brain when a person takes drugs?

Most drugs affect the brain's "reward circuit," causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. A properly functioning reward system motivates a person to repeat behaviors needed to thrive, such as eating and spending time with loved ones. Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviors like taking drugs, leading people to repeat the behavior again and again.

As a person continues to use drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cells in the reward circuit to respond to it. This reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug-an effect known as tolerance. They might take more of the drug to try and achieve the same high. These brain adaptations often lead to the person becoming less and less able to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities.

Long-term use also causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well, affecting functions that include:

Despite being aware of these harmful outcomes, many people who use drugs continue to take them, which is the nature of addiction.

Why do some people become addicted to drugs while others don't?

No one factor can predict if a person will become addicted to drugs. A combination of factors influences risk for addiction. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For example:

Biology. The genes that people are born with account for about half of a person's risk for addiction. Gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may also influence risk for drug use and addiction.

Environment. A person's environment includes many different influences, from family and friends to economic status and general quality of life. Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, early exposure to drugs, stress, and parental guidance can greatly affect a person's likelihood of drug use and addiction.

Development. Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical developmental stages in a person's life to affect addiction risk. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it will progress to addiction. This is particularly problematic for teens. Because areas in their brains that control decision-making, judgment, and self-control are still developing, teens may be especially prone to risky behaviors, including trying drugs.

Can drug addiction be cured or prevented?

As with most other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, treatment for drug addiction generally isn't a cure. However, addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. Treatment approaches tailored to each patient's drug use patterns and any co-occurring medical, mental, and social problems can lead to continued recovery.

More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction. Although personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, when young people view drug use as harmful, they tend to decrease their drug taking. Therefore, education and outreach are key in helping people understand the possible risks of drug use. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction.

Points to Remember

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.

Brain changes that occur over time with drug use challenge an addicted person's self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. This is why drug addiction is also a relapsing disease.

Relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop. Relapse indicates the need for more or different treatment.

Most drugs affect the brain's reward circuit by flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy activities, leading people to repeat the behavior again and again.

Over time, the brain adjusts to the excess dopamine, which reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug-an effect known as tolerance. They might take more of the drug, trying to achieve the same dopamine high.

No single factor can predict whether a person will become addicted to drugs. A combination of genetic, environmental, and developmental factors influences risk for addiction. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction.

Drug addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed.

More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction.

Learn more

For information about understanding drug use and addiction, visit:

For more information about the costs of drug abuse to the United States, visit:

For more information about prevention, visit:

For more information about treatment, visit:

To find a publicly funded treatment center in your state, call 1-800-662-HELP or visit:

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Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse

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Provides an overview of drug use and addiction, including what happens in the brain during drug use, why some people become addicted while others don't, and the importance of prevention.

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Drugs physically change the brain and create a compulsive drive to continue using while inhibiting normal decision-making abilities.

What is addiction and is it a choice?

According to DrugAbuse.gov, "Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her."

The key here is that the addicted person will continue using even when they see the harm their addiction is causing. They know it's bad for them, and they don't want to be addicted. But addiction is characterized by the inability to stop.

Why is addiction considered a disease?

Drug addiction follows a similar pattern to other chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes. The patient will go into remission, but may have several relapses before beating the disease entirely. And like these diseases, addiction too can be treated and managed.

Many people who combat the disease model of addiction will make the point that the addicted person chooses to start using drugs or alcohol. This is true, but beside the point.

Some people try drugs or alcohol and never get addicted. Others, however, have a biological or situational predisposition to addiction.

Once they begin using, the addiction takes on a life of its own and is much harder to control.

Addiction is also considered a disease because it can cause changes to the brain. Not only does it create a physical dependency in which the individual cannot stop taking the substance without experiencing withdrawals, but it also affects the individual's ability to make reasonable decisions.

How drugs change the brain

Every drug, including alcohol, disrupts the reward system in the brain. Unfortunately, long-term usage can cause changes in the reward circuit that influence the brain's ability to function. Specifically, the areas of the brain that are tied to making decisions, learning, remembering, and controlling behavior are all affected.

According to a paper published by Ruben D. Baler and Nora D. Volkow (both from the National Institute on Drug Abuse), "there seem to be intimate relationships between the circuits disrupted by abused drugs and those that underlie self-control [...] the time has come to recognize that the process of addiction erodes the same neural scaffolds that enable self-control and appropriate decision making."

With addiction eroding self-control, it's no surprise that it's supremely difficult for a drug abuser to quit on their own. Volkow drives her point home in a TEDMED 2014 presentation that, "for us to be able to exert self-control, we require the proper function of the area in our brains that regulate out behaviors."

What this means to the addict

Why is it so important to recognize addiction as a disease? The answer is that the way we view a condition heavily influences the way we treat those who have it. When you learn that addiction is a disease, three truths become clear:

It's not all about willpower

When a person loses their life to a drug addiction, someone undoubtedly says something along the lines of "they made their choice."

The thought goes that the addicted person made the conscious decisions to continue their drug addiction and they got what was coming to them. But this perspective is not only unhelpful, it's untrue.

While there is an element of choice involved, making the right choice is so much harder for someone with an addiction. The vast majority of addicted individuals are not addicted because they want to be, but because they feel they need the substance. And in many cases, their bodies are so dependent on the substance that they really do.

Treatment is effective

Getting sober and staying sober on your own is difficult. And unfortunately, for some substances, detoxing can be extremely dangerous. This is where a rehab center comes in. Just like other chronic recurring disorders, repeated treatments are often necessary to achieve success in the long run.

At a recovery center, these treatments will take the form of talking with your counselor, taking medication to help ease the withdrawals, and taking part in activities that are focused on helping you heal. You'll regain abilities that you may have forgotten about, as well as learn techniques for managing cravings and continuing sobriety long-term.

Relapse is normal, expected, and manageable

Following the model of addiction as a disease, relapse is not a failure of treatment. Relapse happens, and it simply means that treatment needs to be changed in order to continue being effective.

You can overcome addiction

At The Recovery Village, we full heartedly believe that addiction does not have to rule your life. We'll guide you throughout your recovery, from preparing for detox to getting treatment to experiencing your new life. Learn about our treatment options, and feel free to reach out to one of our compassionate representatives with any questions you have by calling us today.

Sources

Baler, Ruben D., Nora D. Volkow. "Drug addiction: the neurobiology of disrupted self-control." ScienceDirect. Elsevier Ltd., 27 Oct 2006. Web. 7 June 2016. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471491406002413>.

"DrugFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction." National Institute on Drug Abuse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Nov 2012. Web. 8 June 2016. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction>.

Leshner, Alan I. "Science-Based Views of Drug Addiction and Its Treatment." The JAMA Network. American Medical Association, 13 Oct 1999. Web. 8 June 2016. <http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=191976>.

Volkow, Nora. "Why do our brains get addicted?" TEDMED. TED Conferences LLC., 2014. Web. 8 June 2016. <http://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=309096>.

"When and how does drug abuse start and progress? National Institute on Drug Abuse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Oct 2003. Web. 10 June 2016. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/preventing-drug-abuse-among-children-adolescents-in-brief/chapter-1-risk-factors-protective-factors/when-how-does-drug-abuse-start-progress>.

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Is Drug Addiction a Disease or a Choice?

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Drugs physically change the brain and create a compulsive drive to continue using while inhibiting normal decision-making abilities. According to DrugAbuse.gov, "Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her."