Addiction Is a Pervasive but Surprisingly Misunderstood Disease

For a behavioral health condition that affects millions of Americans, their families, and communities, addiction to alcohol or other drugs is widely misunderstood and stigmatized. Simply put, addiction is a disease. The behavioral aspects of the disease are characterized by the continued use of alcohol or other drugs even when that use causes harm or interferes with achieving goals in life.

You might also hear addiction described as “a disease of the mind, body, and spirit.” That’s because the condition involves a physical and psychological craving or compulsion to use mood-altering substances and because recovery from addiction involves physical, psychological, and emotional healing.

What Is the Medical Definition of Addiction?

The American Society of Addiction Medicine describes addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” Classification as a “primary disease” means addiction is not the result of some other situation, problem, or health issue. For example, addiction is not caused by a bad marriage, financial hardship, a difficult childhood, or other co-occurring mental health disorders.

In fact, the number one risk factor for substance use disorder—the medical term for addiction—is genetics. Individuals who have a family history of the disease are at a much greater risk than the general public of developing a substance use disorder.

Like other chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and hypertension, addiction often involves cycles of relapse (recurrence of symptoms) and remission. Other criteria used by the medical community in classifying substance use disorder as a disease include:

  • Observable symptoms and signs
  • Biological origins
  • Predictable progression
  • Responsive to treatment

Here are three critical facts you need to know about drug addiction if you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one:

  • It’s progressive—if unaddressed, it will get worse
  • It’s chronic—there is no cure, but it can be successfully managed
  • It’s potentially fatal

Symptoms of addiction

People may or may not know they are addicted. The symptoms that indicate you, or someone you know, has an addiction include:

  • repeating a behavior even though it interferes with your life
  • stealing or selling things to continue the addictive behavior
  • losing interest in other things
  • being angry, violent, moody, or depressed
  • seeing changes in eating habits, sleeping habits, or weight
  • feeling sick or shaky when trying to quit.