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Mental health/Lifestyle/Wellness
Addiction Part II: What Is Addiction & Who Can Be Addicted to Drugs Or Behavior?
“An over-indulgence of anything, even something as pure as water, can intoxicate.” — Criss Jami.
What is Addiction?
Experts define addiction as “a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last long after a person has stopped taking drugs.”
In addition, some people can use drugs, gamble, eat more food, have more sex, etc., and function as anyone else without any issues. However, addiction is when a behavior is out of control. In layperson’s terms, addiction is when a person’s drug use or behavior negatively affects their relationships, career, health, and finances and has trouble with the law.
For example:
- An employee misses work or important family functions because of excessive drinking.
- A drug overdose sent a mother to the emergency room.
- A father uses his children’s college funds to gamble or shop.
