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Addiction

Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behaviour that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use often alters brain function in ways that perpetuate craving, and weakens (but does not completely negate) self-control.[1] This phenomenon – drugs reshaping brain function – has led to an understanding of addiction as a brain disorder with a complex variety of psychosocial as well as neurobiological (and thus involuntary)[a] factors that are implicated in addiction's development.[2][3][4] Classic signs of addiction include compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, preoccupation with substances or behavior, and continued use despite negative consequences. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification (short-term reward),[5][6] coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs).[3][7]

Addiction
Other namesAddictive behaviour (e.g. substance-use addiction, sexual addiction), dependence, addictive disorder, addiction disorder (e.g. severe substance-use disorder, gambling disorder)
Brain positron emission tomography images that compare brain metabolism in a healthy individual and an individual with a cocaine addiction
SpecialtyPsychiatry, clinical psychology, toxicology, addiction medicine

Examples of drug (or more generally, substance) addictions include alcoholism, cannabis addiction, amphetamine addiction, cocaine addiction, nicotine addiction, opioid addiction, and eating or food addiction. Behavioral addictions may include gambling addiction, shopping addiction, stalking, internet addiction, social media addiction, obsessive–compulsive disorder, video game addiction and sexual addiction. The DSM-5 and ICD-10 only recognize gambling addictions as behavioral addictions, but the ICD-11 also recognizes gaming addictions.[8]

Definitions edit

"Addiction" and "addictive behaviour" are polysemes denoting a category of mental disorders, of neuropsychological symptoms, or of merely maladaptive/harmful habits and lifestyles.[9] A common use of "addiction" in medicine is for neuropsychological symptoms denoting pervasive/excessive and intense urges to engage in a category of behavioral compulsions or impulses towards sensory rewards (e.g. alcohol, betel quid, drugs, sex, gambling, video gaming).[10][11][12][13][14] Addictive disorders or addiction disorders are mental disorders involving high intensities of addictions (as neuropsychological symptoms) that induce functional disabilities (i.e. limit subjects' social/family and occupational activities); the two categories of such disorders are substance-use addictions and behavioral addictions.[15][9][13][14]

However, there is no agreement on the exact definition of addiction in medicine. Indeed, Volkow et al. (2016) report that the DSM-5 defines addictions as the most severe degree of the addictive disorders, due to pervasive/excessive substance-use or behavioural compulsions/impulses.[16] It is a definition that many scientific papers and reports use.[17][18][19]

"Dependence" is also a polyseme denoting either neuropsychological symptoms or mental disorders. In the DSM-5, dependences differ from addictions and can even normally happen without addictions;[20] besides, substance-use dependences are severe stages of substance-use addictions (i.e. mental disorders) involving withdrawal issues.[21] In the ICD-11, "substance-use dependence" is a synonym of "substance-use addiction" (i.e. neuropsychological symptoms) that can but do not necessarily involve withdrawal issues.[22]

Substance addiction edit

Addiction and dependence glossary[2][23][24]
  • addiction – a biopsychosocial disorder characterized by persistent use of drugs (including alcohol) despite substantial harm and adverse consequences
  • addictive drug – psychoactive substances that with repeated use are associated with significantly higher rates of substance use disorders, due in large part to the drug's effect on brain reward systems
  • dependence – an adaptive state associated with a withdrawal syndrome upon cessation of repeated exposure to a stimulus (e.g., drug intake)
  • drug sensitization or reverse tolerance – the escalating effect of a drug resulting from repeated administration at a given dose
  • drug withdrawal – symptoms that occur upon cessation of repeated drug use
  • physical dependence – dependence that involves persistent physical–somatic withdrawal symptoms (e.g., fatigue and delirium tremens)
  • psychological dependence – dependence socially seen as being extremely mild compared to physical dependence (e.g., with enough willpower it could be overcome)
  • reinforcing stimuli – stimuli that increase the probability of repeating behaviors paired with them
  • rewarding stimuli – stimuli that the brain interprets as intrinsically positive and desirable or as something to approach
  • sensitization – an amplified response to a stimulus resulting from repeated exposure to it
  • substance use disorder – a condition in which the use of substances leads to clinically and functionally significant impairment or distress
  • tolerance – the diminishing effect of a drug resulting from repeated administration at a given dose

Drug addiction edit

Drug addiction, which belongs to the class of substance-related disorders, is a chronic and relapsing brain disorder that features drug seeking and drug abuse, despite their harmful effects.[25] This form of addiction changes brain circuitry such that the brain's reward system is compromised,[26] causing functional consequences for stress management and self-control.[25] Damage to the functions of the organs involved can persist throughout a lifetime and cause death if untreated.[25] Substances involved with drug addiction include alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, and even foods with high fat and sugar content.[27] Addictions can begin experimentally in social contexts[28] and can arise from the use of prescribed medications or a variety of other measures.[29]

Drug addiction has been shown to work in phenomenological, conditioning (operant and classical), cognitive models, and the cue reactivity model. However, no one model completely illustrates substance abuse.[30]

Risk factors for addiction include:

  • Aggressive behavior (particularly in childhood)
  • Availability of substance[28]
  • Community economic status
  • Experimentation[28]
  • Epigenetics
  • Impulsivity (attentional, motor, or non-planning)[31]
  • Lack of parental supervision[28]
  • Lack of peer refusal skills[28]
  • Mental disorders[28]
  • Method substance is taken[25]
  • Usage of substance in youth[28]

Food addiction edit

The diagnostic criteria for food or eating addiction has not been categorized or defined in references such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM or DSM-5) and is based on subjective experiences similar to substance use disorders.[32][31] Food addiction may be found in those with eating disorders, though not all people with eating disorders have food addiction and not all of those with food addiction have a diagnosed eating disorder.[32] Long-term frequent and excessive consumption of foods high in fat, salt, or sugar, such as chocolate, can produce an addiction[33][34] similar to drugs since they trigger the brain's reward system, such that the individual may desire the same foods to an increasing degree over time.[35][32][31] The signals sent when consuming highly palatable foods have the ability to counteract the body's signals for fullness and persistent cravings will result.[35] Those who show signs of food addiction may develop food tolerances, in which they eat more, despite the food becoming less satisfactory.[35]

Chocolate's sweet flavor and pharmacological ingredients are known to create a strong craving or feel 'addictive' by the consumer.[36] A person who has a strong liking for chocolate may refer to themselves as a chocoholic.

Risk factors for developing food addiction include excessive overeating and impulsivity.[31]

The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), version 2.0, is the current standard measure for assessing whether an individual exhibits signs and symptoms of food addiction.[37][32][31] It was developed in 2009 at Yale University on the hypothesis that foods high in fat, sugar, and salt have addictive-like effects which contribute to problematic eating habits.[38][35] The YFAS is designed to address 11 substance-related and addictive disorders (SRADs) using a 25-item self-report questionnaire, based on the diagnostic criteria for SRADs as per DSM-5.[39][32] A potential food addiction diagnosis is predicted by the presence of at least two out of 11 SRADs and a significant impairment to daily activities.[40]

The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, specifically the BIS-11 scale, and the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior subscales of Negative Urgency and Lack of Perseverance have been shown to have relation to food addiction.[31]

Behavioral addiction edit

The term behavioral addiction refers to a compulsion to engage in a natural reward – which is a behavior that is inherently rewarding (i.e., desirable or appealing) – despite adverse consequences.[6][33][34] Preclinical evidence has demonstrated that marked increases in the expression of ΔFosB through repetitive and excessive exposure to a natural reward induces the same behavioral effects and neuroplasticity as occurs in a drug addiction.[33][41][42][43]

Addiction can exist in the absence of psychotropic drugs, which was popularized by Peele.[44] These are termed behavioral addictions. Such addictions may be passive or active, but they commonly contain reinforcing features, which are found in most addictions.[44] Sexual behavior, eating, gambling, playing video games, and shopping are all associated with compulsive behaviors in humans and have been shown to activate the mesolimbic pathway and other parts of the reward system.[33] Based on this evidence, sexual addiction, gambling addiction, video game addiction, and shopping addiction are classified accordingly.[33][45]

Sexual edit

Sexual addiction involves an engagement in excessive, compulsive, or otherwise problematic sexual behavior that persists despite negative physiological, psychological, social, and occupational consequences.[46] Sexual addiction may be referred to as hypersexuality or compulsive sexual behavior disorder.[46] The DSM-5 does not recognize sexual addiction as a clinical diagnosis. Hypersexuality disorder and internet addiction disorder were among proposed addictions to the DSM-5, but were later rejected due to the insufficient evidence available in support of the existence of these disorders as discrete mental health conditions.[47] Reviews of both clinical research in humans and preclinical studies involving ΔFosB have identified compulsive sexual activity – specifically, any form of sexual intercourse – as an addiction (i.e., sexual addiction).[33][41] Reward cross-sensitization between amphetamine and sexual activity, meaning that exposure to one increases the desire for both, has been shown to occur as a dopamine dysregulation syndrome.[33][41][42][43] ΔFosB expression is required for this cross-sensitization effect, which intensifies with the level of ΔFosB expression.[33][42][43]

Gambling edit

Gambling provides a natural reward that is associated with compulsive behavior.[33] Functional neuroimaging evidence shows that gambling activates the reward system and the mesolimbic pathway in particular.[33][45] It is known that dopamine is involved in learning, motivation, as well as the reward system.[48][26] The exact role of dopamine in gambling addiction has been debated.[48] Suggested roles for D2, D3, and D4 dopamine receptors, as well as D3 receptors in the substantia nigra have been found in rat and human models, showing a correlation with the severity of the gambling behavior.[48] This in turn was linked with greater dopamine release in the dorsal striatum.[48]

Gambling addictions are linked with comorbidities such as mental health disorders, substance abuse, alcohol use disorder, and personality disorders.[49]

Risk factors for gambling addictions include antisocial behavior, impulsive personality,[31] male sex, sensation seeking,[50] substance use, and young age.

Gambling addiction has been associated with some personality traits, including: harm avoidance, low self direction, decision making and planning insufficiencies, impulsivity, as well as sensation seeking individuals.[50] Although some personality traits can be linked with gambling addiction, there is no general description of individuals addicted to gambling.[50]

Internet edit

Internet addiction does not have any standardized definition, yet there is widespread agreement that this problem exists.[51] Debate over the classification of problematic internet use considers whether it should be thought of as a behavioral addiction, an impulse control disorder, or an obsessive-compulsive disorder.[52][53] Others argue that internet addiction should be considered a symptom of an underlying mental health condition and not a disorder in itself.[54] Internet addiction has been described as "a psychological dependence on the Internet, regardless of the type of activity once logged on."[51] Problematic internet use may include a preoccupation with the internet and/or digital media, excessive time spent using the internet despite resultant distress in the individual, increase in the amount of internet use required to achieve the same desired emotional response, loss of control over one's internet use habits, withdrawal symptoms, and continued problematic internet use despite negative consequences to one's work, social, academic, or personal life.[55]

Studies conducted in India, United States, Asia, and Europe have identified Internet addiction prevalence rates ranging in value from 1% to 19%, with the adolescent population having high rates compared to other age groups.[56][57] Prevalence rates have been difficult to establish due to a lack of universally accepted diagnostic criteria, a lack of diagnostic instruments demonstrating cross-cultural validity and reliability, and existing controversy surrounding the validity of labeling problematic internet use as an addictive disorder.[58][57] The most common scale used to measure addiction is the Internet Addiction Test developed by Kimberly Young.[57]

People with internet addiction are likely to have a comorbid psychiatric disorder. Comorbid diagnoses identified alongside internet addiction include affective mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[58]

Video games edit

Video game addiction is characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as excessive gaming behavior, potentially prioritized over other interests, despite the negative consequences that may arise, for a period of at least 12 months.[59] In May 2019, the WHO introduced gaming disorder in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases.[60] Video game addiction has been shown to be more prevalent in males than females, higher by 2.9 times.[61] It has been suggested that people of younger ages are more prone to become addicted to video games.[61] People with certain personalities may be more susceptible to gaming addictions.[61][62]

Risk factors for video game addiction include:

  • Male,
  • Psychopathologies (e.g. ADHD or MDD), and
  • Social anxiety.[63]

Shopping edit

Shopping addiction, or compulsive buying disorder (CBD), is the excessive urge to shop or spend, potentially resulting in unwanted consequences.[64] These consequences can have serious impacts, such as increased consumer debt, negatively affected relationships, increased risk of illegal behavior, and suicide attempts.[64] Shopping addiction occurs worldwide and has shown a 5.8% prevalence in the United States.[65] Similar to other behavioral addictions, CBD can be linked to mood disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and other disorders involving a lack of control.[65]

Signs and symptoms edit

Signs and symptoms of addiction can vary depending on the type of addiction. Symptoms of drug addictions may include:

  • Continuation of drug use despite the knowledge of consequences[32]
  • Disregarding financial status when it comes to drug purchases
  • Ensuring a stable supply of the drug
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when stopping the drug[66][32]
  • Needing more of the drug over time to achieve similar effects[32]
  • Social and work life impacted due to drug use[32]
  • Unsuccessful attempts to stop drug use[32]
  • Urge to use drug regularly

Signs and symptoms of addiction may include:

Behavioral Changes Physical Changes Social Changes
  • Angry and irritable
  • Changes to eating or sleeping habits
  • Changes to personality and attitude
  • Decreased attendance and performance in workplace or school setting[32]
  • Fearful, paranoid and anxious without probable cause[67]
  • Frequently engaging in conflicts (fights, illegal activity)
  • Frequent or sudden changes in mood and temperament
  • Hiding or in denial of certain behaviors
  • Lack of motivation
  • Periodic hyperactivity
  • Using substances in inappropriate settings
  • Abnormal pupil size
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Body odor
  • Impaired motor coordination[67]
  • Periodic tremors
  • Poor physical appearance
  • Slurred speech
  • Sudden changes in weight
  • Changes in hobbies
  • Changes to financial status (unexplained need for money)
  • Legal problems related to substance abuse
  • Sudden changes in friends and associates
  • Use of substance despite consequences to personal relationships[67]

Screening and assessment edit

Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment edit

The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment is used to diagnose addiction disorders. This tool measures three different domains: executive function, incentive salience, and negative emotionality.[68][69] Executive functioning consists of processes that would be disrupted in addiction.[69] In the context of addiction, incentive salience determines how one perceives the addictive substance.[69] Increased negative emotional responses have been found with individuals with addictions.[69]

Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) edit

This is a screening and assessment tool in one, assessing commonly used substances. This tool allows for a simple diagnosis, eliminating the need for several screening and assessment tools, as it includes both TAPS-1 and TAPS-2, screening and assessment tools respectively. The screening component asks about the frequency of use of the specific substance (tobacco, alcohol, prescription medication, and other).[70] If an individual screens positive, the second component will begin. This dictates the risk level of the substance.[70]

CRAFFT edit

The CRAFFT (Car-Relax-Alone-Forget-Family and Friends-Trouble) is a screening tool that is used in medical centers. The CRAFFT is in version 2.1 and has a version for nicotine and tobacco use called the CRAFFT 2.1+N.[71] This tool is used to identify substance use, substance related driving risk, and addictions among adolescents. This tool uses a set of questions for different scenarios.[72] In the case of a specific combination of answers, different question sets can be used to yield a more accurate answer. After the questions, the DSM-5 criteria are used to identify the likelihood of the person having substance use disorder.[72] After these tests are done, the clinician is to give the "5 RS" of brief counseling.

The five Rs of brief counseling includes:

  1. REVIEW screening results
  2. RECOMMEND to not use
  3. RIDING/DRIVING risk counseling
  4. RESPONSE: elicit self-motivational statements
  5. REINFORCE self-efficacy[72]

Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) edit

The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) is a self-reporting tool that measures problematic substance use.[73] Responses to this test are recorded as yes or no answers, and scored as a number between zero and 28. Drug abuse or dependence, are indicated by a cut off score of 6.[73] Three versions of this screening tool are in use: DAST-28, DAST-20, and DAST-10. Each of these instruments are copyrighted by Dr. Harvey A. Skinner.[73]

Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Test (ASSIST) edit

The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Test (ASSIST) is an interview-based questionnaire consisting of eight questions developed by the WHO.[74] The questions ask about lifetime use; frequency of use; urge to use; frequency of health, financial, social, or legal problems related to use; failure to perform duties; if anyone has raised concerns over use; attempts to limit or moderate use; and use by injection.[75]

Causes edit

Personality theories edit

Personality theories of addiction are psychological models that associate personality traits or modes of thinking (i.e., affective states) with an individual's proclivity for developing an addiction. Data analysis demonstrates that psychological profiles of drug users and non-users have significant differences and the psychological predisposition to using different drugs may be different.[76] Models of addiction risk that have been proposed in psychology literature include: an affect dysregulation model of positive and negative psychological affects, the reinforcement sensitivity theory of impulsiveness and behavioral inhibition, and an impulsivity model of reward sensitization and impulsiveness.[77][78][79][80][81]

Neuropsychology edit

The transtheoretical model of change (TTM) can point to how someone may be conceptualizing their addiction and the thoughts around it, including not being aware of their addiction.[82]

Cognitive control and stimulus control, which is associated with operant and classical conditioning, represent opposite processes (i.e., internal vs external or environmental, respectively) that compete over the control of an individual's elicited behaviors.[83] Cognitive control, and particularly inhibitory control over behavior, is impaired in both addiction and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[84][85] Stimulus-driven behavioral responses (i.e., stimulus control) that are associated with a particular rewarding stimulus tend to dominate one's behavior in an addiction.[85]

Operant conditioningExtinction
Reinforcement
Increase behavior
Punishment
Decrease behavior
Positive reinforcement
Add appetitive stimulus
following correct behavior
Negative reinforcementPositive punishment
Add noxious stimulus
following behavior
Negative punishment
Remove appetitive stimulus
following behavior
Escape
Remove noxious stimulus
following correct behavior
Active avoidance
Behavior avoids noxious stimulus

Stimulus control of behavior edit

In operant conditioning, behavior is influenced by outside stimulus, such as a drug. The operant conditioning theory of learning is useful in understanding why the mood-altering or stimulating consequences of drug use can reinforce continued use (an example of positive reinforcement) and why the addicted person seeks to avoid withdrawal through continued use (an example of negative reinforcement). Stimulus control is using the absence of the stimulus or presence of a reward to influence the resulting behavior.[82]

Cognitive control of behavior edit

Cognitive control is the intentional selection of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, based on our environment. It has been shown that drugs alter the way our brains function, and its structure.[86][26] Cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and impulse control, are affected by drugs.[86] These effects promote drug use, as well as hinder the ability to abstain from it.[86] The increase in dopamine release is prominent in drug use, specifically in the ventral striatum and the nucleus accumbens.[86] Dopamine is responsible for producing pleasurable feelings, as well driving us to perform important life activities. Addictive drugs cause a significant increase in this reward system, causing a large increase in dopamine signaling as well as increase in reward-seeking behavior, in turn motivating drug use.[86][26] This promotes the development of a maladaptive drug to stimulus relationship.[87] Early drug use leads to these maladaptive associations, later affecting cognitive processes used for coping, which are needed to successfully abstain from them.[86][82]

Risk factors edit

A number of genetic and environmental risk factors exist for developing an addiction.[2][88] Genetic and environmental risk factors each account for roughly half of an individual's risk for developing an addiction;[2] the contribution from epigenetic risk factors to the total risk is unknown.[88] Even in individuals with a relatively low genetic risk, exposure to sufficiently high doses of an addictive drug for a long period of time (e.g., weeks–months) can result in an addiction.[2] Adverse childhood events are associated with negative health outcomes, such as substance use disorder. Childhood abuse or exposure to violent crime is related to developing a mood or anxiety disorder, as well as a substance dependence risk.[89]

Genetic factors edit

Genetic factors, along with socio-environmental (e.g., psychosocial) factors, have been established as significant contributors to addiction vulnerability.[2][88][90][32] Studies done on 350 hospitalized drug-dependent patients showed that over half met the criteria for alcohol abuse, with a role of familial factors being prevalent.[91] Genetic factors account for 40–60% of the risk factors for alcoholism.[92] Similar rates of heritability for other types of drug addiction have been indicated, specifically in genes that encode the Alpha5 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor.[93] Knestler hypothesized in 1964 that a gene or group of genes might contribute to predisposition to addiction in several ways. For example, altered levels of a normal protein due to environmental factors may change the structure or functioning of specific brain neurons during development. These altered brain neurons could affect the susceptibility of an individual to an initial drug use experience. In support of this hypothesis, animal studies have shown that environmental factors such as stress can affect an animal's genetic expression.[93]

In humans, twin studies into addiction have provided some of the highest-quality evidence of this link, with results finding that if one twin is affected by addiction, the other twin is likely to be as well, and to the same substance.[94] Further evidence of a genetic component is research findings from family studies which suggest that if one family member has a history of addiction, the chances of a relative or close family developing those same habits are much higher than one who has not been introduced to addiction at a young age.[95]

The data implicating specific genes in the development of drug addiction is mixed for most genes. Many addiction studies that aim to identify specific genes focus on common variants with an allele frequency of greater than 5% in the general population. When associated with disease, these only confer a small amount of additional risk with an odds ratio of 1.1–1.3 percent; this has led to the development the rare variant hypothesis, which states that genes with low frequencies in the population (<1%) confer much greater additional risk in the development of the disease.[96]

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are used to examine genetic associations with dependence, addiction, and drug use.[90] These studies rarely identify genes from proteins previously described via animal knockout models and candidate gene analysis. Instead, large percentages of genes involved in processes such as cell adhesion are commonly identified. The important effects of endophenotypes are typically not capable of being captured by these methods. Genes identified in GWAS for drug addiction may be involved either in adjusting brain behavior before drug experiences, subsequent to them, or both.[97]

Environmental factors edit

Environmental risk factors for addiction are the experiences of an individual during their lifetime that interact with the individual's genetic composition to increase or decrease his or her vulnerability to addiction.[2] For example, after the nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, more people quit (vs. started) smoking; and smokers, on average, reduced the quantity of cigarettes they consumed.[98] More generally, a number of different environmental factors have been implicated as risk factors for addiction, including various psychosocial stressors. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and studies cite lack of parental supervision, the prevalence of peer substance use, substance availability, and poverty as risk factors for substance use among children and adolescents.[99][28] The brain disease model of addiction posits that an individual's exposure to an addictive drug is the most significant environmental risk factor for addiction.[100] Many researchers, including neuroscientists, indicate that the brain disease model presents a misleading, incomplete, and potentially detrimental explanation of addiction.[101]

The psychoanalytic theory model defines addiction as a form of defense against feelings of hopelessness and helplessness as well as a symptom of failure to regulate powerful emotions related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), various forms of maltreatment and dysfunction experienced in childhood. In this case, the addictive substance provides brief but total relief and positive feelings of control.[82] The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown a strong dose–response relationship between ACEs and numerous health, social, and behavioral problems throughout a person's lifespan, including substance use disorder.[102] Children's neurological development can be permanently disrupted when they are chronically exposed to stressful events such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, physical or emotional neglect, witnessing violence in the household, or a parent being incarcerated or having a mental illness. As a result, the child's cognitive functioning or ability to cope with negative or disruptive emotions may be impaired. Over time, the child may adopt substance use as a coping mechanism or as a result of reduced impulse control, particularly during adolescence.[102][28][82] Vast amounts of children who experienced abuse have gone on to have some form of addiction in their adolescence or adult life.[103] This pathway towards addiction that is opened through stressful experiences during childhood can be avoided by a change in environmental factors throughout an individual's life and opportunities of professional help.[103] If one has friends or peers who engage in drug use favorably, the chances of them developing an addiction increases. Family conflict and home management is a cause for one to become engaged in alcohol or other drug use.[104]

Social control theory edit

According to Travis Hirschi's social control theory, adolescents with stronger attachments to family, religious, academic, and other social institutions are less likely to engage in delinquent and maladaptive behavior such as drug and alcohol use leading to addiction.[105]

Age edit

Adolescence represents a period of increased vulnerability for developing an addiction.[106] In adolescence, the incentive-rewards systems in the brain mature well before the cognitive control center. This consequentially grants the incentive-rewards systems a disproportionate amount of power in the behavioral decision-making process. Therefore, adolescents are increasingly likely to act on their impulses and engage in risky, potentially addicting behavior before considering the consequences.[107] Not only are adolescents more likely to initiate and maintain drug use, but once addicted they are more resistant to treatment and more liable to relapse.[108][109]

Most individuals are exposed to and use addictive drugs for the first time during their teenage years.[110] In the United States, there were just over 2.8 million new users of illicit drugs in 2013 (7,800 new users per day);[110] among them, 54.1% were under 18 years of age.[110] In 2011, there were approximately 20.6 million people in the United States over the age of 12 with an addiction.[111] Over 90% of those with an addiction began drinking, smoking or using illicit drugs before the age of 18.[111]

Comorbid disorders edit

Individuals with comorbid (i.e., co-occurring) mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to develop substance use disorders.[112][113][114][28] The NIDA cites early aggressive behavior as a risk factor for substance use.[99] The National Bureau of Economic Research found that there is a "definite connection between mental illness and the use of addictive substances" and a majority of mental health patients participate in the use of these substances: 38% alcohol, 44% cocaine, and 40% cigarettes.[115]

Epigenetic edit

Epigenetics is the study of stable phenotypic changes that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence.[116] Illicit drug use has been found to cause epigenetic changes in DNA methylation, as well as chromatin remodeling.[117] The epigenetic state of chromatin may pose as a risk for the development of substance addictions.[117] It has been found that emotional stressors, as well as social adversities may lead to an initial epigenetic response, which causes an alteration to the reward-signalling pathways.[117] This change may predispose one to experience a positive response to drug use.[117]

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance edit

Epigenetic genes and their products (e.g., proteins) are the key components through which environmental influences can affect the genes of an individual:[88] they serve as the mechanism responsible for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, a phenomenon in which environmental influences on the genes of a parent can affect the associated traits and behavioral phenotypes of their offspring (e.g., behavioral responses to environmental stimuli).[88] In addiction, epigenetic mechanisms play a central role in the pathophysiology of the disease;[2] it has been noted that some of the alterations to the epigenome which arise through chronic exposure to addictive stimuli during an addiction can be transmitted across generations, in turn affecting the behavior of one's children (e.g., the child's behavioral responses to addictive drugs and natural rewards).[88][118]

The general classes of epigenetic alterations that have been implicated in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and downregulation or upregulation of microRNAs.[88] With respect to addiction, more research is needed to determine the specific heritable epigenetic alterations that arise from various forms of addiction in humans and the corresponding behavioral phenotypes from these epigenetic alterations that occur in human offspring.[88][118] Based on preclinical evidence from animal research, certain addiction-induced epigenetic alterations in rats can be transmitted from parent to offspring and produce behavioral phenotypes that decrease the offspring's risk of developing an addiction.[note 1][88] More generally, the heritable behavioral phenotypes that are derived from addiction-induced epigenetic alterations and transmitted from parent to offspring may serve to either increase or decrease the offspring's risk of developing an addiction.[88][118]

Mechanisms edit

Addiction is a disorder of the brain's reward system developing through transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms as a result of chronically high levels of exposure to an addictive stimulus (e.g., eating food, the use of cocaine, engagement in sexual activity, participation in high-thrill cultural activities such as gambling, etc.) over extended time.[2][119][33] DeltaFosB (ΔFosB), a gene transcription factor, is a critical component and common factor in the development of virtually all forms of behavioral and drug addictions.[119][33][120][34] Two decades of research into ΔFosB's role in addiction have demonstrated that addiction arises, and the associated compulsive behavior intensifies or attenuates, along with the overexpression of ΔFosB in the D1-type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens.[2][119][33][120] Due to the causal relationship between ΔFosB expression and addictions, it is used preclinically as an addiction biomarker.[2][119][120] ΔFosB expression in these neurons directly and positively regulates drug self-administration and reward sensitization through positive reinforcement, while decreasing sensitivity to aversion.[note 2][2][119]

Transcription factor glossary
  • gene expression – the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product such as a protein
  • transcription – the process of making messenger RNA (mRNA) from a DNA template by RNA polymerase
  • transcription factor – a protein that binds to DNA and regulates gene expression by promoting or suppressing transcription
  • transcriptional regulationcontrolling the rate of gene transcription for example by helping or hindering RNA polymerase binding to DNA
  • upregulation, activation, or promotionincrease the rate of gene transcription
  • downregulation, repression, or suppressiondecrease the rate of gene transcription
  • coactivator – a protein (or a small molecule) that works with transcription factors to increase the rate of gene transcription
  • corepressor – a protein (or a small molecule) that works with transcription factors to decrease the rate of gene transcription
  • response element – a specific sequence of DNA that a transcription factor binds to
Signaling cascade in the nucleus accumbens that results in psychostimulant addiction
 
This diagram depicts the signaling events in the brain's reward center that are induced by chronic high-dose exposure to psychostimulants that increase the concentration of synaptic dopamine, like amphetamine, methamphetamine, and phenethylamine. Following presynaptic dopamine and glutamate co-release by such psychostimulants,[121][122] postsynaptic receptors for these neurotransmitters trigger internal signaling events through a cAMP-dependent pathway and a calcium-dependent pathway that ultimately result in increased CREB phosphorylation.[121][123][124] Phosphorylated CREB increases levels of ΔFosB, which in turn represses the c-Fos gene with the help of corepressors;[121][125][126] c-Fos repression acts as a molecular switch that enables the accumulation of ΔFosB in the neuron.[127] A highly stable (phosphorylated) form of ΔFosB, one that persists in neurons for 1–2 months, slowly accumulates following repeated high-dose exposure to stimulants through this process.[125][126] ΔFosB functions as "one of the master control proteins" that produces addiction-related structural changes in the brain, and upon sufficient accumulation, with the help of its downstream targets (e.g., nuclear factor kappa B), it induces an addictive state.[125][126]

Chronic addictive drug use causes alterations in gene expression in the mesocorticolimbic projection.[34][128][129] The most important transcription factors that produce these alterations are ΔFosB, cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB).[34] ΔFosB is the most significant biomolecular mechanism in addiction because the overexpression of ΔFosB in the D1-type medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens is necessary and sufficient for many of the neural adaptations and behavioral effects (e.g., expression-dependent increases in drug self-administration and reward sensitization) seen in drug addiction.[34] ΔFosB expression in nucleus accumbens D1-type medium spiny neurons directly and positively regulates drug self-administration and reward sensitization through positive reinforcement while decreasing sensitivity to aversion.[note 2][2][119] ΔFosB has been implicated in mediating addictions to many different drugs and drug classes, including alcohol, amphetamine and other substituted amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine, methylphenidate, nicotine, opiates, phenylcyclidine, and propofol, among others.[119][34][128][130][131] ΔJunD, a transcription factor, and G9a, a histone methyltransferase, both oppose the function of ΔFosB and inhibit increases in its expression.[2][34][132] Increases in nucleus accumbens ΔJunD expression (via viral vector-mediated gene transfer) or G9a expression (via pharmacological means) reduces, or with a large increase can even block, many of the neural and behavioral alterations that result from chronic high-dose use of addictive drugs (i.e., the alterations mediated by ΔFosB).[120][34]

ΔFosB plays an important role in regulating behavioral responses to natural rewards, such as palatable food, sex, and exercise.[34][133] Natural rewards, like drugs of abuse, induce gene expression of ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens, and chronic acquisition of these rewards can result in a similar pathological addictive state through ΔFosB overexpression.[33][34][133] Consequently, ΔFosB is the key transcription factor involved in addictions to natural rewards (i.e., behavioral addictions) as well;[34][33][133] in particular, ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens is critical for the reinforcing effects of sexual reward.[133] Research on the interaction between natural and drug rewards suggests that dopaminergic psychostimulants (e.g., amphetamine) and sexual behavior act on similar biomolecular mechanisms to induce ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens and possess bidirectional cross-sensitization effects that are mediated through ΔFosB.[33][42][43] This phenomenon is notable since, in humans, a dopamine dysregulation syndrome, characterized by drug-induced compulsive engagement in natural rewards (specifically, sexual activity, shopping, and gambling), has been observed in some individuals taking dopaminergic medications.[33]

ΔFosB inhibitors (drugs or treatments that oppose its action) may be an effective treatment for addiction and addictive disorders.[134]

The release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens plays a role in the reinforcing qualities of many forms of stimuli, including naturally reinforcing stimuli like palatable food and sex.[135][136][32] Altered dopamine neurotransmission is frequently observed following the development of an addictive state.[33][26] In humans and lab animals that have developed an addiction, alterations in dopamine or opioid neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens and other parts of the striatum are evident.[33] Use of certain drugs (e.g., cocaine) affect cholinergic neurons that innervate the reward system, in turn affecting dopamine signaling in this region.[137]

Reward system edit

Mesocorticolimbic pathway edit

ΔFosB accumulation from excessive drug use
 
Top: this depicts the initial effects of high dose exposure to an addictive drug on gene expression in the nucleus accumbens for various Fos family proteins (i.e., c-Fos, FosB, ΔFosB, Fra1, and Fra2).
Bottom: this illustrates the progressive increase in ΔFosB expression in the nucleus accumbens following repeated twice daily drug binges, where these phosphorylated (35–37 kilodalton) ΔFosB isoforms persist in the D1-type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens for up to 2 months.[126][138]

Understanding the pathways in which drugs act and how drugs can alter those pathways is key when examining the biological basis of drug addiction. The reward pathway, known as the mesolimbic pathway,[26] or its extension, the mesocorticolimbic pathway, is characterized by the interaction of several areas of the brain.

  • The projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are a network of dopaminergic neurons with co-localized postsynaptic glutamate receptors (AMPAR and NMDAR). These cells respond when stimuli indicative of a reward are present.[32] The VTA supports learning and sensitization development and releases dopamine (DA) into the forebrain.[139] These neurons project and release DA into the nucleus accumbens,[140] through the mesolimbic pathway. Virtually all drugs causing drug addiction increase the DA release in the mesolimbic pathway.[141][26]
  • The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is one output of the VTA projections. The nucleus accumbens itself consists mainly of GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs).[142] The NAcc is associated with acquiring and eliciting conditioned behaviors, and is involved in the increased sensitivity to drugs as addiction progresses.[139][31] Overexpression of ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens is a necessary common factor in essentially all known forms of addiction;[2] ΔFosB is a strong positive modulator of positively reinforced behaviors.[2]
  • The prefrontal cortex, including the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices,[143][31] is another VTA output in the mesocorticolimbic pathway; it is important for the integration of information which helps determine whether a behavior will be elicited.[144] It is critical for forming associations between the rewarding experience of drug use and cues in the environment. Importantly, these cues are strong mediators of drug-seeking behavior and can trigger relapse even after months or years of abstinence.[145][26]

Other brain structures that are involved in addiction include:

  • The basolateral amygdala projects into the NAcc and is thought to be important for motivation.[144]
  • The hippocampus is involved in drug addiction, because of its role in learning and memory. Much of this evidence stems from investigations showing that manipulating cells in the hippocampus alters DA levels in NAcc and firing rates of VTA dopaminergic cells.[140]

Role of dopamine and glutamate edit

Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter of the reward system in the brain. It plays a role in regulating movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.[146] Natural rewards, like eating, as well as recreational drug use cause a release of dopamine, and are associated with the reinforcing nature of these stimuli.[146][147][32] Nearly all addictive drugs, directly or indirectly, act on the brain's reward system by heightening dopaminergic activity.[148][26]

Excessive intake of many types of addictive drugs results in repeated release of high amounts of dopamine, which in turn affects the reward pathway directly through heightened dopamine receptor activation. Prolonged and abnormally high levels of dopamine in the synaptic cleft can induce receptor downregulation in the neural pathway. Downregulation of mesolimbic dopamine receptors can result in a decrease in the sensitivity to natural reinforcers.[146]

Drug seeking behavior is induced by glutamatergic projections from the prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens. This idea is supported with data from experiments showing that drug seeking behavior can be prevented following the inhibition of AMPA glutamate receptors and glutamate release in the nucleus accumbens.[143]

Reward sensitization edit

Neural and behavioral effects of validated ΔFosB transcriptional targets in the striatum[119][149]
Target
gene
Target
expression
Neural effects Behavioral effects
c-Fos Molecular switch enabling the chronic
induction of ΔFosB[note 3]
dynorphin
[note 4]
 • Downregulation of κ-opioid feedback loop  • Increased drug reward
NF-κB  • Expansion of NAcc dendritic processes
 • NF-κB inflammatory response in the NAcc
 • NF-κB inflammatory response in the CPTooltip caudate putamen
 • Increased drug reward
 • Locomotor sensitization
GluR2  • Decreased sensitivity to glutamate  • Increased drug reward
Cdk5  • GluR1 synaptic protein phosphorylation
 • Expansion of NAcc dendritic processes
Decreased drug reward
(net effect)

Reward sensitization is a process that causes an increase in the amount of reward (specifically, incentive salience[note 5]) that is assigned by the brain to a rewarding stimulus (e.g., a drug). In simple terms, when reward sensitization to a specific stimulus (e.g., a drug) occurs, an individual's "wanting" or desire for the stimulus itself and its associated cues increases.[151][150][152] Reward sensitization normally occurs following chronically high levels of exposure to the stimulus.[26] ΔFosB expression in D1-type medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens has been shown to directly and positively regulate reward sensitization involving drugs and natural rewards.[2][119][120]

"Cue-induced wanting" or "cue-triggered wanting", a form of craving that occurs in addiction, is responsible for most of the compulsive behavior that people with addictions exhibit.[150][152] During the development of an addiction, the repeated association of otherwise neutral and even non-rewarding stimuli with drug consumption triggers an associative learning process that causes these previously neutral stimuli to act as conditioned positive reinforcers of addictive drug use (i.e., these stimuli start to function as drug cues).[150][153][152] As conditioned positive reinforcers of drug use, these previously neutral stimuli are assigned incentive salience (which manifests as a craving) – sometimes at pathologically high levels due to reward sensitization – which can transfer to the primary reinforcer (e.g., the use of an addictive drug) with which it was originally paired.[150][153][152]

Research on the interaction between natural and drug rewards suggests that dopaminergic psychostimulants (e.g., amphetamine) and sexual behavior act on similar biomolecular mechanisms to induce ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens and possess a bidirectional reward cross-sensitization effect[note 6] that is mediated through ΔFosB.[33][42][43] In contrast to ΔFosB's reward-sensitizing effect, CREB transcriptional activity decreases user's sensitivity to the rewarding effects of the substance. CREB transcription in the nucleus accumbens is implicated in psychological dependence and symptoms involving a lack of pleasure or motivation during drug withdrawal.[2][138][149]

Summary of addiction-related plasticity
Form of neuroplasticity
or behavioral plasticity
Type of reinforcer Sources
Opiates Psychostimulants High fat or sugar food Sexual intercourse Physical exercise
(aerobic)
Environmental
enrichment
ΔFosB expression in
nucleus accumbens D1-type MSNsTooltip medium spiny neurons
[33]
Behavioral plasticity
Escalation of intake Yes Yes Yes [33]
Psychostimulant
cross-sensitization
Yes Not applicable Yes Yes Attenuated Attenuated [33]
Psychostimulant
self-administration
[33]
Psychostimulant
conditioned place preference
[33]
Reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior [33]
Neurochemical plasticity
CREBTooltip cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation
in the nucleus accumbens
[33]
Sensitized dopamine response
in the nucleus accumbens
No Yes No Yes [33]
Altered striatal dopamine signaling DRD2, ↑DRD3 DRD1, ↓DRD2, ↑DRD3 DRD1, ↓DRD2, ↑DRD3 DRD2 DRD2 [33]
Altered striatal opioid signaling No change or
μ-opioid receptors
μ-opioid receptors
κ-opioid receptors
μ-opioid receptors μ-opioid receptors No change No change [33]
Changes in striatal opioid peptides dynorphin
No change: enkephalin
dynorphin enkephalin dynorphin dynorphin [33]
Mesocorticolimbic synaptic plasticity
Number of dendrites in the nucleus accumbens [33]
Dendritic spine density in
the nucleus accumbens
[33]

Neuroepigenetic mechanisms edit

Altered epigenetic regulation of gene expression within the brain's reward system plays a significant and complex role in the development of drug addiction.[132][154] Addictive drugs are associated with three types of epigenetic modifications within neurons.[132] These are (1) histone modifications, (2) epigenetic methylation of DNA at CpG sites at (or adjacent to) particular genes, and (3) epigenetic downregulation or upregulation of microRNAs which have particular target genes.[132][34][154] As an example, while hundreds of genes in the cells of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) exhibit histone modifications following drug exposure – particularly, altered acetylation and methylation states of histone residues[154] – most other genes in the NAc cells do not show such changes.[132]

Diagnosis edit

Classification edit

DSM-5 edit

The fifth edition of the DSM uses the term substance use disorder to refer to a spectrum of drug use-related disorders. The DSM-5 eliminates the terms abuse and dependence from diagnostic categories, instead using the specifiers of mild, moderate and severe to indicate the extent of disordered use. These specifiers are determined by the number of diagnostic criteria present in a given case. In the DSM-5, the term drug addiction is synonymous with severe substance use disorder.[18][24]

The DSM-5 introduced a new diagnostic category for behavioral addictions. Problem gambling is the only condition included in this category in the fifth edition.[20] Internet gaming disorder is listed as a "condition requiring further study" in the DSM-5.[155]

Past editions have used physical dependence and the associated withdrawal syndrome to identify an addictive state. Physical dependence occurs when the body has adjusted by incorporating the substance into its "normal" functioning – i.e., attains homeostasis – and therefore physical withdrawal symptoms occur on cessation of use.[156] Tolerance is the process by which the body continually adapts to the substance and requires increasingly larger amounts to achieve the original effects. Withdrawal refers to physical and psychological symptoms experienced when reducing or discontinuing a substance that the body has become dependent on. Symptoms of withdrawal generally include but are not limited to body aches, anxiety, irritability, intense cravings for the substance, dysphoria, nausea, hallucinations, headaches, cold sweats, tremors, and seizures. During acute physical opioid withdrawal, symptoms of restless legs syndrome are common and may be profound. This phenomenon originated the idiom "kicking the habit".

Medical researchers who actively study addiction have criticized the DSM classification of addiction for being flawed and involving arbitrary diagnostic criteria.[157]

ICD-11 edit

The eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases, commonly referred to as ICD-11, conceptualizes diagnosis somewhat differently. ICD-11 first distinguishes between problems with psychoactive substance use ("Disorders due to substance use") and behavioral addictions ("Disorders due to addictive behaviours").[14] With regard to psychoactive substances, ICD-11 explains that the included substances initially produce "pleasant or appealing psychoactive effects that are rewarding and reinforcing with repeated use, [but] with continued use, many of the included substances have the capacity to produce dependence. They have the potential to cause numerous forms of harm, both to mental and physical health."[158] Instead of the DSM-5 approach of one diagnosis ("Substance Use Disorder") covering all types of problematic substance use, ICD-11 offers three diagnostic possibilities: 1) Episode of Harmful Psychoactive Substance Use, 2) Harmful Pattern of Psychoactive Substance Use, and 3) Substance Dependence.[158]

Prevention edit

Abuse liability edit

Abuse or addiction liability is the tendency to use drugs in a non-medical situation. This is typically for euphoria, mood changing, or sedation.[159] Abuse liability is used when the person using the drugs wants something that they otherwise can not obtain. The only way to obtain this is through the use of drugs. When looking at abuse liability there are a number of determining factors in whether the drug is abused. These factors are: the chemical makeup of the drug, the effects on the brain, and the age, vulnerability, and the health (mental and physical) of the population being studied.[159] There are a few drugs with a specific chemical makeup that leads to a high abuse liability. These are: cocaine, heroin, inhalants, marijuana, MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine, PCP, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones (bath salts), nicotine (e.g. tobacco), and alcohol.[160]

Potential vaccines for addiction to substances edit

Vaccines for addiction have been investigated as a possibility since the early 2000s.[161] The general theory of a vaccine intended to "immunize" against drug addiction or other substance abuse is that it would condition the immune system to attack and consume or otherwise disable the molecules of such substances that cause a reaction in the brain, thus preventing the addict from being able to realize the effect of the drug. Addictions that have been floated as targets for such treatment include nicotine, opioids, and fentanyl.[162][163][164][165] Vaccines have been identified as potentially being more effective than other anti-addiction treatments, due to "the long duration of action, the certainty of administration and a potential reduction of toxicity to important organs".[166]

Specific addiction vaccines in development include:

As of September 2023, it was further reported that a vaccine "has been tested against heroin and fentanyl and is on its way to being tested against oxycontin".[173]

Treatment and management edit

To be effective, treatment for addiction that is pharmacological or biologically based need to be accompanied by other interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), individual and group psychotherapy, behavior modification strategies, twelve-step programs, and residential treatment facilities.[174][28] The TTM can be used to determine when treatment can begin and which method will be most effective. If treatment begins too early, it can cause a person to become defensive and resistant to change.[82][175]

A biosocial approach to the treatment of addiction brings to the fore the social determinants of illness and wellbeing and considers the dynamic and reciprocal relationships that exist for, and influence, the individual's experience.[176]

The work of A.V. Schlosser (2018) aims to pronounce the individual lived experiences of women receiving medication-assisted treatment (e.g., methadone, naltrexone, burprenorphine) in a long-term rehabilitation setting, through a twenty month long ethnographic fieldwork investigation. This person-centered research shows how the experiences of these women "emerge from stable systems of inequality based in intersectional gender, race, and class marginalization entangled with processes of intra-action."[177] Viewing addiction treatment through this lens highlights the importance of framing clients' own bodies as "social flesh". As Schlosser (2018) points out, "client bodies" as well as the "embodied experiences of self and social belonging emerge in and through the structures, temporalities, and expectations of the treatment centre."[177]

Biotechnologies make up a large portion of the future treatments for addiction[178] including deep-brain stimulation, agonist and antagonist implants and hapten conjugate vaccines. Vaccinations against addiction specifically overlaps with the belief that memory plays a large role in the damaging effects of addiction and relapses.[medical citation needed] Hapten conjugate vaccines are designed to block opioid receptors in one area, while allowing other receptors to behave normally. Essentially, once a high can no longer be achieved in relation to a traumatic event, the relation of drugs to a traumatic memory can be disconnected and therapy can play a role in treatment.[179]

Behavioral therapy edit

CBT proposes four assumptions essential to the approach to treatment: addiction is a learned behavior, it emerges in an environmental context, it is developed and maintained by particular thought patterns and processes, and CBT can be integrated well with other treatment and management approaches as they all have similar goals.[82] CBT, (e.g., relapse prevention), motivational interviewing, and a community reinforcement approach are effective interventions with moderate effect sizes.[180]

Interventions focusing on impulsivity and sensation seeking are successful in decreasing substance use.[31] Cue exposure uses ideas from classical conditioning theory to change the learned behavioral response of someone addicted to a cue or trigger. Contingency management uses ideas from operant conditioning to use meaningful positive reinforcements to influence addiction behaviors towards sobriety.[82]

Addiction recovery groups draw on different methods and models and rely on the success of vicarious learning, where people imitate behavior they observe as rewarding among their own social group or status as well as those perceived as being of a higher status.[82]

Substance addiction in children is complex and requires multifacted behavioral therapy. Family therapy and school-based interventions have had minor but lasting results. Innovative treatments are still needed for areas where relevant therapies are unavailable.[28]

Consistent aerobic exercise, especially endurance exercise (e.g., marathon running), prevents the development of certain drug addictions and is an effective adjunct treatment for drug addiction, and for psychostimulant addiction in particular.[33][181][182][183][184] Consistent aerobic exercise magnitude-dependently (i.e., by duration and intensity) reduces drug addiction risk, which appears to occur through the reversal of drug induced addiction-related neuroplasticity.[33][182] Exercise may prevent the development of drug addiction by altering ΔFosB or c-Fos immunoreactivity in the striatum or other parts of the reward system.[184] Aerobic exercise decreases drug self-administration, reduces the likelihood of relapse, and induces opposite effects on striatal dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) signaling (increased DRD2 density) to those induced by addictions to several drug classes (decreased DRD2 density).[33][182] Consequently, consistent aerobic exercise may lead to better treatment outcomes when used as an adjunct treatment for drug addiction.[33][182][183]

With a combination of tools such as behavioral therapy, a balanced lifestyle, and individualized relapse plans, relapse is can be more successfully avoided.[82]

Medication edit

Alcohol addiction edit

Alcohol, like opioids, can induce a severe state of physical dependence and produce withdrawal symptoms such as delirium tremens. Because of this, treatment for alcohol addiction usually involves a combined approach dealing with dependence and addiction simultaneously. Benzodiazepines have the largest and the best evidence base in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and are considered the gold standard of alcohol detoxification.[185]

Pharmacological treatments for alcohol addiction include drugs like naltrexone (opioid antagonist), disulfiram, acamprosate, and topiramate.[186][187] Rather than substituting for alcohol, these drugs are intended to affect the desire to drink, either by directly reducing cravings as with acamprosate and topiramate, or by producing unpleasant effects when alcohol is consumed, as with disulfiram. These drugs can be effective if treatment is maintained, but compliance can be an issue as patients with disordered alcohol use may forget to take their medication, or discontinue use because of excessive side effects.[188][189] The opioid antagonist naltrexone has been shown to be an effective treatment for alcoholism, with the effects lasting three to twelve months after the end of treatment.[190]

Behavioral addictions edit

Behavioral addiction is a treatable condition.[191] Treatment options include psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy (i.e., medications) or a combination of both. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common form of psychotherapy used in treating behavioral addictions; it focuses on identifying patterns that trigger compulsive behavior and making lifestyle changes to promote healthier behaviors. Because cognitive behavioral therapy is considered a short-term therapy, the number of sessions for treatment normally ranges from five to twenty.[192] During the session, therapists will lead patients through the topics of identifying the issue, becoming aware of one's thoughts surrounding the issue, identifying any negative or false thinking, and reshaping said negative and false thinking. While CBT does not cure behavioral addiction, it does help with coping with the condition in a healthy way. Currently, there are no medications approved for treatment of behavioral addictions in general, but some medications used for treatment of drug addiction may also be beneficial with specific behavioral addictions.[45]

Cannabinoid addiction edit

The development of CB1 receptor agonists that have reduced interaction with β-arrestin 2 signaling might be therapeutically useful.[193] As of 2019, there has been some evidence of effective pharmacological interventions for cannabinoid addiction, but none have been approved.[194]

Nicotine addiction edit

 
Transdermal patch used in nicotine replacement therapy

Another area in which drug treatment has been widely used is in the treatment of nicotine addiction, which usually involves the use of nicotine replacement therapy, nicotinic receptor antagonists, and/or nicotinic receptor partial agonists.[195][196] Examples of drugs that act on nicotinic receptors and have been used for treating nicotine addiction include antagonists like bupropion and the partial agonist varenicline.[195][196] Cytisine, a partial agonist, is an effective, and affordable cessation treatment for smokers.[197] When access to varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy is limited (due to availability or cost), cytisine is considered the first line of treatment for smoking cessation.[197]

Opioid addiction edit

Opioids cause physical dependence and treatment typically addresses both dependence and addiction. Physical dependence is treated using replacement drugs such as buprenorphine (the active ingredient in products such as Suboxone and Subutex) and methadone.[198][199] Although these drugs perpetuate physical dependence, the goal of opiate maintenance is to provide a measure of control over both pain and cravings. Use of replacement drugs increases the addicted individual's ability to function normally and eliminates the negative consequences of obtaining controlled substances illicitly. Once a prescribed dosage is stabilized, treatment enters maintenance or tapering phases. In the United States, opiate replacement therapy is tightly regulated in methadone clinics and under the DATA 2000 legislation. In some countries, other opioid derivatives such as dihydrocodeine,[200] dihydroetorphine[201] and even heroin[202][203] are used as substitute drugs for illegal street opiates, with different prescriptions being given depending on the needs of the individual patient. Baclofen has led to successful reductions of cravings for stimulants, alcohol, and opioids and alleviates alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Many patients have stated they "became indifferent to alcohol" or "indifferent to cocaine" overnight after starting baclofen therapy.[204] Some studies show the interconnection between opioid drug detoxification and overdose mortality.[205]

Psychostimulant addiction edit

There is no effective and FDA- or EMA-approved pharmacotherapy for any form of psychostimulant addiction.[206] Experimental TAAR1-selective agonists have significant therapeutic potential as a treatment for psychostimulant addictions.[207]

Research edit

Anti-drug vaccines (active immunizations) for treatment of cocaine and nicotine addictions were successful in animal studies. Vaccines tested on humans have been shown as safe with mild to moderate side effects, though did not have firm results confirming efficacy despite producing expected antibodies.[208] Vaccines which use anti-drug monoclonal antibodies (passive immunization) can mitigate drug-induced positive reinforcement by preventing the drug from moving across the blood–brain barrier.[209] Current[as of?] vaccine-based therapies are only effective in a relatively small subset of individuals.[209][210] As of November 2015, vaccine-based therapies are being tested in human clinical trials as a treatment for addiction and preventive measure against drug overdoses involving nicotine, cocaine, and methamphetamine.[209] The study shows that the vaccine may save lives during a drug overdose. In this instance, the idea is that the body will respond to the vaccine by quickly producing antibodies to prevent the opioids from accessing the brain.[211]

Since addiction involves abnormalities in glutamate and GABAergic neurotransmission,[212][213] receptors associated with these neurotransmitters (e.g., AMPA receptors, NMDA receptors, and GABAB receptors) are potential therapeutic targets for addictions.[212][213][214][215] N-acetylcysteine, which affects metabotropic glutamate receptors and NMDA receptors, has shown some benefit involving addictions to cocaine, heroin, and cannabinoids.[212] It may be useful as an adjunct therapy for addictions to amphetamine-type stimulants, but more clinical research is required.[212]

Current medical reviews of research involving lab animals have identified a drug class – class I histone deacetylase inhibitors[note 7] – that indirectly inhibits the function and further increases in the expression of accumbal ΔFosB by inducing G9a expression in the nucleus accumbens after prolonged use.[120][132][216][154] These reviews and subsequent preliminary evidence which used oral administration or intraperitoneal administration of the sodium salt of butyric acid or other class I HDAC inhibitors for an extended period indicate that these drugs have efficacy in reducing addictive behavior in lab animals[note 8] that have developed addictions to ethanol, psychostimulants (i.e., amphetamine and cocaine), nicotine, and opiates.[132][154][217][218] Few clinical trials involving humans with addictions and any HDAC class I inhibitors have been conducted to test for treatment efficacy in humans or identify an optimal dosing regimen.[note 9]

Gene therapy for addiction is an active area of research. One line of gene therapy research involves the use of viral vectors to increase the expression of dopamine D2 receptor proteins in the brain.[220][221][222][223][224]

Epidemiology edit

Due to cultural variations, the proportion of individuals who develop a drug or behavioral addiction within a specified time period (i.e., the prevalence) varies over time, by country, and across national population demographics (e.g., by age group, socioeconomic status, etc.).[88] Where addiction is viewed as unacceptable, there will be fewer people addicted.

Asia edit

The prevalence of alcohol dependence is not as high as is seen in other regions. In Asia, not only socioeconomic factors but biological factors influence drinking behavior.[225]

Internet addiction disorder is highest in the Philippines, according to both the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) – 5% and the CIAS-R (Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale) – 21%.[226]

Australia edit

The prevalence of substance use disorder among Australians was reported at 5.1% in 2009.[227] In 2019 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare conducted a national drug survey that quantified drug use for various types of drugs and demographics.[228] The national[specify] found that in 2019, 11% of people over 14 years old smoke daily; that 9.9% of those who drink alcohol, which equates to 7.5% of the total population age 14 or older, may qualify as alcohol dependent; that 17.5% of the 2.4 million people who used cannabis in the last year may have hazardous use or a dependence problem; and that 63.5% of about 300000 recent users of meth and amphetamines were at risk for developing problem use.[228]

Europe edit

In 2015, the estimated prevalence among the adult population was 18.4% for heavy episodic alcohol use (in the past 30 days); 15.2% for daily tobacco smoking; and 3.8% for cannabis use, 0.77% for amphetamine use, 0.37% for opioid use, and 0.35% for cocaine use in 2017. The mortality rates for alcohol and illicit drugs were highest in Eastern Europe.[229] Data shows a downward trend of alcohol use among children 15 years old in most European countries between 2002 and 2014. First-time alcohol use before the age of 13 was recorded for 28% of European children in 2014.[28]

United States edit

Based on representative samples of the US youth population in 2011, the lifetime prevalence[note 10] of addictions to alcohol and illicit drugs has been estimated to be approximately 8% and 2–3% respectively.[230] Based on representative samples of the US adult population in 2011, the 12-month prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug addictions were estimated at 12% and 2–3% respectively.[230] The lifetime prevalence of prescription drug addictions is around 4.7%.[231]

As of 2021, 43.7 million people aged 12 or older surveyed by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in the United States needed treatment for an addiction to alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs. The groups with the highest number of people were 18–25 years (25.1%) and "American Indian or Alaska Native" (28.7%).[232] Only about 10%, or a little over 2 million, receive any form of treatments, and those that do generally do not receive evidence-based care.[233][234] One-third of inpatient hospital costs and 20% of all deaths in the US every year are the result of untreated addictions and risky substance use.[233][234] In spite of the massive overall economic cost to society, which is greater than the cost of diabetes and all forms of cancer combined, most doctors in the US lack the training to effectively address a drug addiction.[233][234]

Estimates of lifetime prevalence rates in the US are 1–2% for compulsive gambling, 5% for sexual addiction, 2.8% for food addiction, and 5–6% for compulsive shopping.[33] The time-invariant prevalence rate for sexual addiction and related compulsive sexual behavior (e.g., compulsive masturbation with or without pornography, compulsive cybersex, etc.) within the US ranges from 3–6% of the population.[41]

According to a 2017 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, almost half of US adults know a family member or close friend who has struggled with a drug addiction at some point in their life.[235]

In 2019, opioid addiction was acknowledged as a national crisis in the United States.[236] An article in The Washington Post stated that "America's largest drug companies flooded the country with pain pills from 2006 through 2012, even when it became apparent that they were fueling addiction and overdoses."

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions found that from 2012 to 2013 the prevalence of Cannabis use disorder in U.S. adults was 2.9%.[237]

Canada edit

A Statistics Canada Survey in 2012 found the lifetime prevalence and 12-month prevalence of substance use disorders were 21.6%, and 4.4% in those 15 and older.[238] Alcohol abuse or dependence reported a lifetime prevalence of 18.1% and a 12-month prevalence of 3.2%.[238] Cannabis abuse or dependence reported a lifetime prevalence of 6.8% and a 12-month prevalence of 3.2%.[238] Other drug abuse or dependence has a lifetime prevalence of 4.0% and a 12-month prevalence of 0.7%.[238] Substance use disorder is a term used interchangeably with a drug addiction.[239]

In Ontario, Canada between 2009 and 2017, outpatient visits for mental health and addiction increased from 52.6 to 57.2 per 100 people, emergency department visits increased from 13.5 to 19.7 per 1000 people and the number of hospitalizations increased from 4.5 to 5.5 per 1000 people.[240] Prevalence of care needed increased the most among the 14–17 age group overall.[240]

South America edit

The realities of opioid use and opioid use disorder in Latin America may be deceptive if observations are limited to epidemiological findings. In the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report,[241] although South America produced 3% of the world's morphine and heroin and 0.01% of its opium, prevalence of use is uneven. According to the Inter-American Commission on Drug Abuse Control, consumption of heroin is low in most Latin American countries, although Colombia is the area's largest opium producer. Mexico, because of its border with the United States, has the highest incidence of use.[242]

Addiction and the humanities edit

History and etymology edit

The etymology of the term addiction throughout history has been misunderstood and has taken on various meanings associated with the word.[243] An example is the usage of the word in the religious landscape of early modern Europe.[244] "Addiction" at the time meant "to attach" to something, giving it both positive and negative connotations. The object of this attachment could be characterized as "good or bad".[245] The meaning of addiction during the early modern period was mostly associated with positivity and goodness;[244] during this early modern and highly religious era of Christian revivalism and Pietistic tendencies,[244] it was seen as a way of "devoting oneself to another".[245]

Modern research on addiction has led to a better understanding of the disease with research on the topic dating back to 1875, specifically on morphine addiction.[246] This furthered the understanding of addiction being a medical condition. It was not until the 19th century that addiction was seen and acknowledged in the Western world as a disease, being both a physical condition and mental illness.[247] Today, addiction is understood both as a biopsychosocial and neurological disorder that negatively impacts those who are affected by it, most commonly associated with the use of drugs and excessive use of alcohol.[3] The understanding of addiction has changed throughout history, which has impacted and continues to impact the ways it is medically treated and diagnosed.

The suffixes "-holic" and "-holism" edit

In contemporary modern English "-holic" is a suffix that can be added to a subject to denote an addiction to it. It was extracted from the word alcoholism (one of the first addictions to be widely identified both medically and socially) (correctly the root "alcohol" plus the suffix "-ism") by misdividing or rebracketing it into "alco" and "-holism". There are correct medico-legal terms for such addictions: dipsomania is the medico-legal term for alcoholism;[248] other examples are in this table:

Colloquial term Addiction to Medico-legal term
chocoholic chocolate
danceaholic dance choreomania
rageaholic rage
sexaholic sex erotomania, satyriasis, nymphomania
sugarholic sugar saccharomania
workaholic work ergomania

Arts edit

The arts can be used in a variety of ways to address issues related to addiction. Art can be used as a form of therapy in the treatment of substance use disorders. Creative activities like painting, sculpting, music, and writing can help people express their feelings and experiences in safe and healthy ways. The arts can be used as an assessment tool to identify underlying issues that may be contributing to a person's substance use disorder. Through art, individuals can gain insights into their own motivations and behaviors that can be helpful in determining a course of treatment. Finally, the arts can be used to advocate for those suffering from a substance use disorder by raising awareness of the issue and promoting understanding and compassion. Through art, individuals can share their stories, increase awareness, and offer support and hope to those struggling with substance use disorders.

As therapy edit

Addiction treatment is complex and not always effective due to engagement and service availability concerns, so researchers prioritize efforts to improve treatment retention and decrease relapse rates.[249][250] Characteristics of substance abuse may include feelings of isolation, a lack of confidence, communication difficulties, and a perceived lack of control.[251] In a similar vein, people suffering from substance use disorders tend to be highly sensitive, creative, and as such, are likely able to express themselves meaningfully in creative arts such as dancing, painting, writing, music, and acting.[252] Further evidenced by Waller and Mahony (2002)[253] and Kaufman (1981),[254] the creative arts therapies can be a suitable treatment option for this population especially when verbal communication is ineffective.

Primary advantages of art therapy in the treatment of addiction have been identified as:[255][256]

  • Assess and characterize a client's substance use issues
  • Bypassing a client's resistances, defenses, and denial
  • Containing shame or anger
  • Facilitating the expression of suppressed and/or complicated emotions
  • Highlighting a client's strengths
  • Providing an alternative to verbal communication (via use of symbols) and conventional forms of therapy
  • Providing clients with a sense of control
  • Tackling feelings of isolation

Art therapy is an effective method of dealing with substance abuse in comprehensive treatment models. When included in psychoeducational programs, art therapy in a group setting can help clients internalize taught concepts in a more personalized manner.[257] During the course of treatment, by examining and comparing artwork created at different times, art therapists can be helpful in identifying and diagnosing issues, as well as charting the extent or direction of improvement as a person detoxifies.[257] Where increasing adherence to treatment regimes and maintaining abstinence is the target; art therapists can aid by customizing treatment directives (encourage the client to create collages that compare pros and cons, pictures that compare past and present and future, and drawings that depict what happened when a client went off medication).[257]

Art therapy can function as a complementary therapy used in conjunction with more conventional therapies and can can integrate with harm reduction protocols to minimize the negative effects of drug use.[258][256] An evaluation of art therapy incorporation within a pre-existing Addiction Treatment Programme based on the 12 step Minnesota Model endorsed by the Alcoholics Anonymous found that 66% of participants expressed the usefulness of art therapy as a part of treatment.[259][256] Within the weekly art therapy session, clients were able to reflect and process the intense emotions and cognitions evoked by the programme. In turn, the art therapy component of the programme fostered stronger self-awareness, exploration, and externalization of repressed and unconscious emotions of clients, promoting the development of a more integrated 'authentic self'.[260][256]

Despite the large number of randomized control trials, clinical control trials, and anecdotal evidence supporting the effectiveness of art therapies for use in addiction treatment, a systematic review conducted in 2018 could not find enough evidence on visual art, drama, dance and movement therapy, or 'arts in health' methodologies to confirm their effectiveness as interventions for reducing substance misuse.[261] Music therapy was identified to have potentially strong beneficial effects in aiding contemplation and preparing those diagnosed with substance use for treatment.[261]

As an assessment tool edit

The Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) is an assessment tool used to evaluate drawings created by people suffering from substance use disorders by comparing them to drawings of a control group (consisting of individuals without SUDs).[262][256] FEATS consists of twelve elements, three of which were found to be particularly effective at distinguishing the drawings of those with SUDs from those without: Person, Realism, and Developmental. The Person element assesses the degree to which a human features are depicted realistically, the Realism element assesses the overall complexity of the artwork, and the Developmental element assesses "developmental age" of the artwork in relation to standardized drawings from children and adolescents.[262] By using the FEATS assessment tool, clinicians can gain valuable insight into the drawings of individuals with SUDs, and can compare them to those of the control group. Formal assessments such as FEATS provide healthcare providers with a means to quantify, standardize, and communicate abstract and visceral characteristics of SUDs to provide more accurate diagnoses and informed treatment decisions.[262]

Other artistic assessment methods include the Bird's Nest Drawing: a useful tool for visualizing a client's attachment security.[263][256] This assessment method looks at the amount of color used in the drawing, with a lack of color indicating an 'insecure attachment', a factor that the client's therapist or recovery framework must take into account.[264]

Art therapists working with children of parents suffering from alcoholism can use the Kinetic Family Drawings assessment tool to shed light on family dynamics and help children express and understand their family experiences.[265][256] The KFD can be used in family sessions to allow children to share their experiences and needs with parents who may be in recovery from alcohol use disorder. Depiction of isolation of self and isolation of other family members may be an indicator of parental alcoholism.[265]

Advocacy edit

Stigma can lead to feelings of shame that can prevent people with substance use disorders from seeking help and interfere with provision of harm reduction services.[266][267][268] It can influence healthcare policy, making it difficult for these individuals to access treatment.[269]

Artists attempt to change the societal perception of addiction from a punishable moral offense to instead a chronic illness necessitating treatment. This form of advocacy can help to relocate the fight of addiction from a judicial perspective to the public health system.[270]

Artists who have personally lived with addiction and/or undergone recovery may use art to depict their experiences in a manner that uncovers the "human face of addiction". By bringing experiences of addiction and recovery to a personal level and breaking down the "us and them", the viewer may be more inclined to show compassion, forego stereotypes and stigma of addiction, and label addiction as a social rather than individual problem.[270]

According to Santora[270] the main purposes in using art as a form of advocacy in the education and prevention of substance use disorders include:

  • Addiction art exhibitions can come from a variety of sources, but the underlying message of these works is the same: to communicate through emotions without relying on intellectually demanding/gatekept facts and figures. These exhibitions can either stand alone, reinforce, or challenge facts.
  • A powerful educational tool for increasing awareness and understanding of addiction as a medical illness. Exhibitions featuring personal stories and images can help to create lasting impressions on diverse audiences (including addiction scientists/researchers, family/friends of those affected by addiction etc.), highlighting the humanity of the problem and in turn encouraging compassion and understanding.
  • A way to destigmatize substance use disorders and shift public perception from viewing them as a moral failing to understanding them as a chronic medical condition which requires treatment.
  • Provide those who are struggling with addiction assurance and encouragement of healing, and let them know that they are not alone in their struggle.
  • The use of visual arts can help bring attention to the lack of adequate substance use treatment, prevention, and education programs and services in a healthcare system. Messages can encourage policymakers to allocate more resources to addiction treatment and prevention from federal, state, and local levels.

The Temple University College of Public Health department conducted a project to promote awareness around opioid use and reduce associated stigma by asking students to create art pieces that were displayed on a website they created and promoted via social media.[271] Quantitative and qualitative data was recorded to measure engagement, and the student artists were interviewed, which revealed a change in perspective and understanding, as well as greater appreciation of diverse experiences. Ultimately, the project found that art was an effective medium for empowering both the artist creating the work and the person interacting with it.[271]

Another author critically examined works by contemporary Canadian artists that deal with addiction via the metaphor of a cultural landscape to "unmap" and "remap" ideologies related to Indigenous communities and addiction to demonstrate how colonial violence in Canada has drastically impacted the relationship between Indigenous peoples, their land, and substance abuse.[272]

A project known as "Voice" was a collection of art, poetry and narratives created by women living with a history of addiction to explore women's understanding of harm reduction, challenge the effects of stigma and give voice to those who have historically been silenced or devalued.[273] In the project, nurses with knowledge of mainstream systems, aesthetic knowing, feminism and substance use organized weekly gatherings, wherein women with histories of substance use and addiction worked alongside a nurse to create artistic expressions. Creations were presented at several venues, including an International Conference on Drug Related Harm, a Nursing Conference and a local gallery to positive community response.[273]

Narrative Approach and Addiction edit

The narrative medicine to addiction focuses on recognizing, absorbing, and interpreting the stories of those suffering from addiction, allowing for better understanding of their experiences[274] with narrative analysis being used to study the discourse of those with addiction. This knowledge can be used to develop better care plans with the potential to increase patient compliance and make treatment more effective.

A narrative study demonstrated and studied cognitive and emotional tendencies among substance abusers during treatment periods to learn more about motivation and ambivalence inherent in recovery over the course of a residential treatment program.[275] Seven narrative types emerged from the overall analysis: optimistic, overly optimistic, pessimistic, overly pessimistic, "tough life," troubled/confused, and balanced. Narratives tended to express a basic level of emotionality in early stages of treatment ("optimistic", "pessimistic" narrative). Over time, as clients progressed through the program, their stories became more complex and detailed, including their drug abuse and recovery efforts, more skeptical positions towards treatment began to emerge. Clients began to distinguish between the positive and negative aspects of treatment, creating more "balanced" narratives in the process.[275]

Due to higher medication consumption, social isolation, financial worries, and other factors, older adults are particularly vulnerable to substance use problems.[276] Incidence of addiction among this population is inaccurately reported. Narrative therapy can provide an avenue to unearth stories of addiction in an empowering manner, and thus serves as a viable therapeutic tool in applied gerontology.[276] When treating substance abuse in older adults, it is essential to ensure that the client is respected and comfortable disclosing information. This should be done at the outset of treatment when the therapist and older adult are developing the therapeutic relationship.[277] The social breakdown model is an important tool that can consider the compounded effects of ageism, physical changes, social changes, and substance abuse. The narrative approach integrates the social breakdown model with substance abuse challenges and can be an effective way to address addiction in this population.[277]

A study conducted in 2009 in the Republic of Moldova looked into the social dynamics of initiating injection drug usage by examining 42 audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews with present and former injectors.[278] A thematic analysis suggested that self-injection was viewed as a symbolic transition of identity, enabled by interpersonal interactions and collective influences. Personal narratives of self-transition were connected to larger narratives of social transitions. The personal narratives of self-initiation and transition are contextualized and understood in terms of political (social) narratives within the core concept of the 'transitional society'.[278] Another study examined the narratives of 'initiators': people who help people who inject drugs (PWID) with their first injection.[279] Through their accounts, respondents described initiation events as meaningful transitions to a life characterized by predictable downfalls of homelessness, infections, and social stigma. Initiators used examples from their own personal experience to explain the process of initiation and assistance, attributing personal agency and predicting specific injection-related harms for initiates. They distinguished between two forms of harm: potentially avoidable proximal harm caused by risky injection practices (e.g. overdose, HIV) and perceived inevitable distal harm caused by long-term injection (e.g. socioeconomic decline).[279] In this way, these narratives reflect a balance of individual agency, harm reduction intentions, and accepted notions of 'life after initiation' interact with the narrative experiences and intentions of PWIDs.[278][279]

Philosophy edit

From a philosophy perspective, the behavior of many with addiction that is not explained by executive dysfunction or biological reasons can be explained by folk psychology – specifically the belief–desire model.[26] According to this model, a person acquires and uses a substance or does an addictive activity in belief that it will help them achieve a goal.

Social scientific models edit

 
Acute confusional state caused by alcohol withdrawal, otherwise known as delirium tremens

Biopsychosocial–cultural–spiritual edit

While regarded biomedically as a neuropsychological disorder, addiction is multi-layered, with biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual (biopsychosocial–cultural–spiritual) elements.[280][281] A biopsychosocial–cultural–spiritual approach fosters the crossing of disciplinary boundaries, and promotes holistic considerations of addiction.[282][283][284] A biopsychosocial–cultural–spiritual approach considers, for example, how physical environments influence experiences, habits, and patterns of addiction.

Ethnographic engagements and developments in fields of knowledge have contributed to biopsychosocial–cultural–spiritual understandings of addiction, including the work of Philippe Bourgois, whose fieldwork with street-level drug dealers in East Harlem highlights correlations between drug use and structural oppression in the United States.[285] Prior models that have informed the prevailing biopsychosocial–cultural–spiritual consideration of addiction include:

Cultural model edit

The cultural model, an anthropological understanding of the emergence of drug use and abuse, was developed by Dwight Heath.[286] Heath undertook ethnographic research and fieldwork with the Camba people of Bolivia from June 1956 to August 1957.[287] Heath observed that adult members of society drank 'large quantities of rum and became intoxicated for several contiguous days at least twice a month'.[286] This frequent, heavy drinking from which intoxication followed was typically undertaken socially, during festivals.[287] Having returned in 1989, Heath observed that while much had changed, 'drinking parties' remained, as per his initial observations, and 'there appear to be no harmful consequences to anyone'.[288] Heath's observations and interactions reflected that this form of social behavior, the habitual heavy consumption of alcohol, was encouraged and valued, enforcing social bonds in the Camba community.[287] Despite frequent intoxication, "even to the point of unconsciousness", the Camba held no concept of alcoholism (a form of addiction), and no visible social problems associated with drunkenness, or addiction, were apparent.[286]

As noted by Merrill Singer, Heath's findings, when considered alongside subsequent cross-cultural experiences, challenged the perception that intoxication is socially 'inherently disruptive'.[286] Following this fieldwork, Heath proposed the 'cultural model', suggesting that 'problems' associated with heavy drinking, such as alcoholism – a recognised form addiction – were cultural: that is, that alcoholism is determined by cultural beliefs, and therefore varies among cultures. Heath's findings challenged the notion that 'continued use [of alcohol] is inexorably addictive and damaging to the consumer's health'.[287][286]

The cultural model did face criticism by Sociologist Robin Room and others, who felt anthropologists could "downgrade the severity of the problem".[286] Merrill Singer found it notable that the ethnographers working within the prominence of the cultural model were part of the 'wet generation': while not blind to the 'disruptive, dysfunctional and debilitating effects of alcohol consumption', they were products 'socialized to view alcohol consumption as normal'.[286]

Subcultural model edit

Historically, addiction has been viewed from the etic perspective, defining users through the pathology of their condition.[289] As reports of drug use rapidly increased, the cultural model found application in anthropological research exploring western drug subculture practices.[286]

The approach evolved from the ethnographic exploration into the lived experiences and subjectivities of 1960s and 1970s drug subcultures.[286] The seminal publication "Taking care of business", by Edward Preble and John J. Casey, documented the daily lives of New York street-based intravenous heroin users in rich detail, providing unique insight into the dynamic social worlds and activities that surrounded their drug use.[290] These findings challenge popular narratives of immorality and deviance, conceptualizing substance abuse as a social phenomenon. The prevailing culture can have a greater influence on drug taking behaviors than the physical and psychological effects of the drug itself.[291][better source needed] To marginalized individuals, drug subcultures can provide social connection, symbolic meaning, and socially constructed purpose that they may feel is unattainable through conventional means.[291] The subcultural model demonstrates the complexities of addiction, highlighting the need for an integrated approach. It contends that a biosocial approach is required to achieve a holistic understanding of addiction.[286]

Critical medical anthropology model edit

Emerging in the early 1980s, the critical medical anthropology model was introduced, and as Merrill Singer offers 'was applied quickly to the analysis of drug use'.[286] Where the cultural model of the 1950s looked at the social body, the critical medical anthropology model revealed the body politic, considering drug use and addiction within the context of macro level structures including larger political systems, economic inequalities, and the institutional power held over social processes.[286]

Highly relevant to addiction, the three issues emphasized in the model are:

These three key points highlight how drugs may come to be used to self-medicate the psychological trauma of socio-political disparity and injustice, intertwining with licit and illicit drug market politics.[286] Social suffering, "the misery among those on the weaker end of power relations in terms of physical health, mental health and lived experience", is used by anthropologists to analyze how individuals may have personal problems caused by political and economic power.[286] From the perspective of critical medical anthropology heavy drug use and addiction is a consequence of such larger scale unequal distributions of power.[286]

The three models developed here – the cultural model, the subcultural model, and the Critical Medical Anthropology Model – display how addiction is not an experience to be considered only biomedically. Through consideration of addiction alongside the biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual (biopsychosocial–spiritual) elements which influence its experience, a holistic and comprehensive understanding can be built.

Social learning models edit

Social learning theory edit

Albert Bandura's 1977 social learning theory posits that individuals acquire addictive behaviors by observing and imitating models in their social environment.[292][293] The likelihood of engaging in and sustaining similar addictive behaviors is influenced by the reinforcement and punishment observed in others. The principle of reciprocal determinism suggests that the functional relationships between personal, environmental, and behavioral factors act as determinants of addictive behavior.[294] Thus, effective treatment targets each dynamic facet of the biopsychosocial disorder.

Transtheoretical model (stages of change model) edit

The transtheoretical model of change suggests that overcoming an addiction is a stepwise process that occurs through several stages.[295]

Precontemplation: This initial stage precedes individuals considering a change in their behavior. They might be oblivious to or in denial of their addiction, failing to recognize the need for change.

Contemplation is the stage in which individuals become aware of the problems caused by their addiction and are considering change. Although they may not fully commit, they weigh the costs and benefits of making a shift.

Preparation: Individuals in this stage are getting ready to change. They might have taken preliminary steps, like gathering information or making small commitments, in preparation for behavioral change.

Action involves actively modifying behavior by making specific, observable changes to address the addictive behavior. The action stage requires significant effort and commitment.

Maintenance: After successfully implementing a change, individuals enter the maintenance stage, where they work to sustain the new behavior and prevent relapse. This stage is characterized by ongoing effort and consolidation of gains.

Termination/relapse prevention: Recognizing that relapse is a common part of the change process, this stage focuses on identifying and addressing factors that may lead to a return to old behaviors. Relapse is viewed as an opportunity for learning and strategy adjustment, with the ultimate goal of eliminating or terminating the targeted behavior.

The transtheoretical model can be helpful in guiding development of tailored behavioral interventions that can promote lasting change. Progression through these stages may not always follow a linear path, as individuals may move back and forth between stages. Resistance to change is recognized as an expected part of the process.

Addiction causes an "astoundingly high financial and human toll" on individuals and society as a whole.[296][230][233] In the United States, the total economic cost to society is greater than that of all types of diabetes and all cancers combined.[233] These costs arise from the direct adverse effects of drugs and associated healthcare costs (e.g., emergency medical services and outpatient and inpatient care), long-term complications (e.g., lung cancer from smoking tobacco products, liver cirrhosis and dementia from chronic alcohol consumption, and meth mouth from methamphetamine use), the loss of productivity and associated welfare costs, fatal and non-fatal accidents (e.g., traffic collisions), suicides, homicides, and incarceration, among others.[296][230][233][297] The US National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that overdose deaths in the US have almost tripled among male and females from 2002 to 2017, with 72,306 overdose deaths reported in 2017 in the US.[298] 2020 marked the year with highest number of overdose deaths over a 12-month period, with 81,000 overdose deaths, exceeding the records set in 2017.[299]

See also edit

Endnotes edit

  1. ^ In other words, a person cannot control the neurobiological processes that occur in the body in response to using an addictive drug. A person can make a voluntary choice to, for example, start using a drug (or not), or to seek help after becoming addicted, although resisting the urge to use drug(s) becomes increasingly difficult as addiction worsens. See [1] for detailed discussion.

Notes edit

  1. ^ According to a review of experimental animal models that examined the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of epigenetic marks that occur in addiction, alterations in histone acetylation – specifically, di-acetylation of lysine residues 9 and 14 on histone 3 (i.e., H3K9ac2 and H3K14ac2) in association with BDNF gene promoters – have been shown to occur within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), testes, and sperm of cocaine-addicted male rats.[88] These epigenetic alterations in the rat mPFC result in increased BDNF gene expression within the mPFC, which in turn blunts the rewarding properties of cocaine and reduces cocaine self-administration.[88] The male but not female offspring of these cocaine-exposed rats inherited both epigenetic marks (i.e., di-acetylation of lysine residues 9 and 14 on histone 3) within mPFC neurons, the corresponding increase in BDNF expression within mPFC neurons, and the behavioral phenotype associated with these effects (i.e., a reduction in cocaine reward, resulting in reduced cocaine-seeking by these male offspring).[88] Consequently, the transmission of these two cocaine-induced epigenetic alterations (i.e., H3K9ac2 and H3K14ac2) in rats from male fathers to male offspring served to reduce the offspring's risk of developing an addiction to cocaine.[88] As of 2018, neither the heritability of these epigenetic marks in humans nor the behavioral effects of the marks within human mPFC neurons has been established.[88]
  2. ^ a b A decrease in aversion sensitivity, in simpler terms, means that an individual's behavior is less likely to be influenced by undesirable outcomes.
  3. ^ In other words, c-Fos repression allows ΔFosB to more rapidly accumulate within the D1-type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens because it is selectively induced in this state.[2] Before c-Fos repression, all Fos family proteins (e.g., c-Fos, Fra1, Fra2, FosB, and ΔFosB) are induced together, with ΔFosB expression increasing to a lesser extent.[2]
  4. ^ According to two medical reviews, ΔFosB has been implicated in causing both increases and decreases in dynorphin expression in different studies;[119][149] this table entry reflects only a decrease.
  5. ^ Incentive salience, the "motivational salience" for a reward, is a "desire" or "want" attribute, which includes a motivational component, that the brain assigns to a rewarding stimulus.[150][151] As a consequence, incentive salience acts as a motivational "magnet" for a rewarding stimulus that commands attention, induces approach, and causes the rewarding stimulus to be sought out.[150]
  6. ^ In simplest terms, this means that when either amphetamine or sex is perceived as more alluring or desirable through reward sensitization, this effect occurs with the other as well.
  7. ^ Inhibitors of class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes are drugs that inhibit four specific histone-modifying enzymes: HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, and HDAC8. Most of the animal research with HDAC inhibitors has been conducted with four drugs: butyrate salts (mainly sodium butyrate), trichostatin A, valproic acid, and SAHA;[216][154] butyric acid is a naturally occurring short-chain fatty acid in humans, while the latter two compounds are FDA-approved drugs with medical indications unrelated to addiction.
  8. ^ Specifically, prolonged administration of a class I HDAC inhibitor appears to reduce an animal's motivation to acquire and use an addictive drug without affecting an animals motivation to attain other rewards (i.e., it does not appear to cause motivational anhedonia) and reduce the amount of the drug that is self-administered when it is readily available.[132][154][217]
  9. ^ Among the few clinical trials that employed a class I HDAC inhibitor, one used valproate for methamphetamine addiction.[219]
  10. ^ The lifetime prevalence of an addiction is the percentage of individuals in a population that developed an addiction at some point in their life.
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References edit

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    Addiction: A term used to indicate the most severe, chronic stage of substance-use disorder, in which there is a substantial loss of self-control, as indicated by compulsive drug taking despite the desire to stop taking the drug. In the DSM-5, the term addiction is synonymous with the classification of severe substance-use disorder.
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    Table 1: Summary of plasticity observed following exposure to drug or natural reinforcers"
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  41. ^ a b c d Karila L, Wéry A, Weinstein A, Cottencin O, Petit A, Reynaud M, et al. (2014). "Sexual addiction or hypersexual disorder: different terms for the same problem? A review of the literature". Curr. Pharm. Des. 20 (25): 4012–20. doi:10.2174/13816128113199990619. PMID 24001295. S2CID 19042860. Sexual addiction, which is also known as hypersexual disorder, has largely been ignored by psychiatrists, even though the condition causes serious psychosocial problems for many people. A lack of empirical evidence on sexual addiction is the result of the disease's complete absence from versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. ... Existing prevalence rates of sexual addiction-related disorders range from 3% to 6%. Sexual addiction/hypersexual disorder is used as an umbrella construct to encompass various types of problematic behaviors, including excessive masturbation, cybersex, pornography use, sexual behavior with consenting adults, telephone sex, strip club visitation, and other behaviors. The adverse consequences of sexual addiction are similar to the consequences of other addictive disorders. Addictive, somatic and psychiatric disorders coexist with sexual addiction. In recent years, research on sexual addiction has proliferated, and screening instruments have increasingly been developed to diagnose or quantify sexual addiction disorders. In our systematic review of the existing measures, 22 questionnaires were identified. As with other behavioral addictions, the appropriate treatment of sexual addiction should combine pharmacological and psychological approaches.
  42. ^ a b c d e Pitchers KK, Vialou V, Nestler EJ, Laviolette SR, Lehman MN, Coolen LM (February 2013). "Natural and drug rewards act on common neural plasticity mechanisms with ΔFosB as a key mediator". The Journal of Neuroscience. 33 (8): 3434–42. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013. PMC 3865508. PMID 23426671. Drugs of abuse induce neuroplasticity in the natural reward pathway, specifically the nucleus accumbens (NAc), thereby causing development and expression of addictive behavior. ... Together, these findings demonstrate that drugs of abuse and natural reward behaviors act on common molecular and cellular mechanisms of plasticity that control vulnerability to drug addiction, and that this increased vulnerability is mediated by ΔFosB and its downstream transcriptional targets. ... Sexual behavior is highly rewarding (Tenk et al., 2009), and sexual experience causes sensitized drug-related behaviors, including cross-sensitization to amphetamine (Amph)-induced locomotor activity (Bradley and Meisel, 2001; Pitchers et al., 2010a) and enhanced Amph reward (Pitchers et al., 2010a). Moreover, sexual experience induces neural plasticity in the NAc similar to that induced by psychostimulant exposure, including increased dendritic spine density (Meisel and Mullins, 2006; Pitchers et al., 2010a), altered glutamate receptor trafficking, and decreased synaptic strength in prefrontal cortex-responding NAc shell neurons (Pitchers et al., 2012). Finally, periods of abstinence from sexual experience were found to be critical for enhanced Amph reward, NAc spinogenesis (Pitchers et al., 2010a), and glutamate receptor trafficking (Pitchers et al., 2012). These findings suggest that natural and drug reward experiences share common mechanisms of neural plasticity
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  84. ^ Diamond A (2013). "Executive functions". Annu Rev Psychol. 64: 135–68. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750. PMC 4084861. PMID 23020641. Core EFs are inhibition [response inhibition (self-control – resisting temptations and resisting acting impulsively) and interference control (selective attention and cognitive inhibition)], working memory, and cognitive flexibility (including creatively thinking "outside the box," seeing anything from different perspectives, and quickly and flexibly adapting to changed circumstances). ... EFs and prefrontal cortex are the first to suffer, and suffer disproportionately, if something is not right in your life. They suffer first, and most, if you are stressed (Arnsten 1998, Liston et al. 2009, Oaten & Cheng 2005), sad (Hirt et al. 2008, von Hecker & Meiser 2005), lonely (Baumeister et al. 2002, Cacioppo & Patrick 2008, Campbell et al. 2006, Tun et al. 2012), sleep deprived (Barnes et al. 2012, Huang et al. 2007), or not physically fit (Best 2010, Chaddock et al. 2011, Hillman et al. 2008). Any of these can cause you to appear to have a disorder of EFs, such as ADHD, when you do not. You can see the deleterious effects of stress, sadness, loneliness, and lack of physical health or fitness at the physiological and neuroanatomical level in prefrontal cortex and at the behavioral level in worse EFs (poorer reasoning and problem solving, forgetting things, and impaired ability to exercise discipline and self-control). ...
    EFs can be improved (Diamond & Lee 2011, Klingberg 2010). ... At any age across the life cycle EFs can be improved, including in the elderly and in infants. There has been much work with excellent results on improving EFs in the elderly by improving physical fitness (Erickson & Kramer 2009, Voss et al. 2011) ... Inhibitory control (one of the core EFs) involves being able to control one's attention, behavior, thoughts, and/or emotions to override a strong internal predisposition or external lure, and instead do what's more appropriate or needed. Without inhibitory control we would be at the mercy of impulses, old habits of thought or action (conditioned responses), and/or stimuli in the environment that pull us this way or that. Thus, inhibitory control makes it possible for us to change and for us to choose how we react and how we behave rather than being unthinking creatures of habit. It doesn't make it easy. Indeed, we usually are creatures of habit and our behavior is under the control of environmental stimuli far more than we usually realize, but having the ability to exercise inhibitory control creates the possibility of change and choice. ... The subthalamic nucleus appears to play a critical role in preventing such impulsive or premature responding (Frank 2006).
  85. ^ a b Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE (2009). "Chapter 13: Higher Cognitive Function and Behavioral Control". In Sydor A, Brown RY (eds.). Molecular Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. pp. 313–21. ISBN 978-0-07-148127-4.  • Executive function, the cognitive control of behavior, depends on the prefrontal cortex, which is highly developed in higher primates and especially humans.
     • Working memory is a short-term, capacity-limited cognitive buffer that stores information and permits its manipulation to guide decision-making and behavior. ...
    These diverse inputs and back projections to both cortical and subcortical structures put the prefrontal cortex in a position to exert what is called "top-down" control or cognitive control of behavior. ... The prefrontal cortex receives inputs not only from other cortical regions, including association cortex, but also, via the thalamus, inputs from subcortical structures subserving emotion and motivation, such as the amygdala (Chapter 14) and ventral striatum (or nucleus accumbens; Chapter 15). ...
    In conditions in which prepotent responses tend to dominate behavior, such as in drug addiction, where drug cues can elicit drug seeking (Chapter 15), or in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; described below), significant negative consequences can result. ... ADHD can be conceptualized as a disorder of executive function; specifically, ADHD is characterized by reduced ability to exert and maintain cognitive control of behavior. Compared with healthy individuals, those with ADHD have diminished ability to suppress inappropriate prepotent responses to stimuli (impaired response inhibition) and diminished ability to inhibit responses to irrelevant stimuli (impaired interference suppression). ... Functional neuroimaging in humans demonstrates activation of the prefrontal cortex and caudate nucleus (part of the striatum) in tasks that demand inhibitory control of behavior. Subjects with ADHD exhibit less activation of the medial prefrontal cortex than healthy controls even when they succeed in such tasks and utilize different circuits. ... Early results with structural MRI show thinning of the cerebral cortex in ADHD subjects compared with age-matched controls in prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex, areas involved in working memory and attention.
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addiction, addictive, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, addictive, disambiguation, confused, with, psychological, dependence, neuropsychological, disorder, characterized, persistent, intense, urge, drug, engage, behaviour, that, produces, natural, . Addictive redirects here For other uses see Addiction disambiguation and Addictive disambiguation Not to be confused with Psychological dependence Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behaviour that produces natural reward despite substantial harm and other negative consequences Repetitive drug use often alters brain function in ways that perpetuate craving and weakens but does not completely negate self control 1 This phenomenon drugs reshaping brain function has led to an understanding of addiction as a brain disorder with a complex variety of psychosocial as well as neurobiological and thus involuntary a factors that are implicated in addiction s development 2 3 4 Classic signs of addiction include compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli preoccupation with substances or behavior and continued use despite negative consequences Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification short term reward 5 6 coupled with delayed deleterious effects long term costs 3 7 AddictionOther namesAddictive behaviour e g substance use addiction sexual addiction dependence addictive disorder addiction disorder e g severe substance use disorder gambling disorder Brain positron emission tomography images that compare brain metabolism in a healthy individual and an individual with a cocaine addictionSpecialtyPsychiatry clinical psychology toxicology addiction medicine Examples of drug or more generally substance addictions include alcoholism cannabis addiction amphetamine addiction cocaine addiction nicotine addiction opioid addiction and eating or food addiction Behavioral addictions may include gambling addiction shopping addiction stalking internet addiction social media addiction obsessive compulsive disorder video game addiction and sexual addiction The DSM 5 and ICD 10 only recognize gambling addictions as behavioral addictions but the ICD 11 also recognizes gaming addictions 8 Contents 1 Definitions 2 Substance addiction 2 1 Drug addiction 2 2 Food addiction 3 Behavioral addiction 3 1 Sexual 3 2 Gambling 3 3 Internet 3 4 Video games 3 5 Shopping 4 Signs and symptoms 5 Screening and assessment 5 1 Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment 5 2 Tobacco Alcohol Prescription Medication and Other Substance Use TAPS 5 3 CRAFFT 5 4 Drug Abuse Screening Test DAST 10 5 5 Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Test ASSIST 6 Causes 6 1 Personality theories 6 2 Neuropsychology 6 2 1 Stimulus control of behavior 6 2 2 Cognitive control of behavior 7 Risk factors 7 1 Genetic factors 7 2 Environmental factors 7 2 1 Social control theory 7 3 Age 7 4 Comorbid disorders 7 5 Epigenetic 7 5 1 Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance 8 Mechanisms 8 1 Reward system 8 1 1 Mesocorticolimbic pathway 8 1 2 Role of dopamine and glutamate 8 2 Reward sensitization 8 3 Neuroepigenetic mechanisms 9 Diagnosis 9 1 Classification 9 1 1 DSM 5 9 1 2 ICD 11 10 Prevention 10 1 Abuse liability 10 2 Potential vaccines for addiction to substances 11 Treatment and management 11 1 Behavioral therapy 11 2 Medication 11 2 1 Alcohol addiction 11 2 2 Behavioral addictions 11 2 3 Cannabinoid addiction 11 2 4 Nicotine addiction 11 2 5 Opioid addiction 11 2 6 Psychostimulant addiction 11 2 7 Research 12 Epidemiology 12 1 Asia 12 2 Australia 12 3 Europe 12 4 United States 12 5 Canada 12 6 South America 13 Addiction and the humanities 13 1 History and etymology 13 2 The suffixes holic and holism 13 3 Arts 13 3 1 As therapy 13 3 2 As an assessment tool 13 3 3 Advocacy 13 4 Narrative Approach and Addiction 13 5 Philosophy 14 Social scientific models 14 1 Biopsychosocial cultural spiritual 14 2 Cultural model 14 3 Subcultural model 14 4 Critical medical anthropology model 15 Social learning models 15 1 Social learning theory 15 2 Transtheoretical model stages of change model 16 See also 17 Endnotes 18 Notes 19 References 20 Further reading 21 External linksDefinitions edit Addiction and addictive behaviour are polysemes denoting a category of mental disorders of neuropsychological symptoms or of merely maladaptive harmful habits and lifestyles 9 A common use of addiction in medicine is for neuropsychological symptoms denoting pervasive excessive and intense urges to engage in a category of behavioral compulsions or impulses towards sensory rewards e g alcohol betel quid drugs sex gambling video gaming 10 11 12 13 14 Addictive disorders or addiction disorders are mental disorders involving high intensities of addictions as neuropsychological symptoms that induce functional disabilities i e limit subjects social family and occupational activities the two categories of such disorders are substance use addictions and behavioral addictions 15 9 13 14 However there is no agreement on the exact definition of addiction in medicine Indeed Volkow et al 2016 report that the DSM 5 defines addictions as the most severe degree of the addictive disorders due to pervasive excessive substance use or behavioural compulsions impulses 16 It is a definition that many scientific papers and reports use 17 18 19 Dependence is also a polyseme denoting either neuropsychological symptoms or mental disorders In the DSM 5 dependences differ from addictions and can even normally happen without addictions 20 besides substance use dependences are severe stages of substance use addictions i e mental disorders involving withdrawal issues 21 In the ICD 11 substance use dependence is a synonym of substance use addiction i e neuropsychological symptoms that can but do not necessarily involve withdrawal issues 22 Substance addiction editMain article Substance use disorder Further information Substance abuse and Substance related disorder Addiction and dependence glossary 2 23 24 addiction a biopsychosocial disorder characterized by persistent use of drugs including alcohol despite substantial harm and adverse consequences addictive drug psychoactive substances that with repeated use are associated with significantly higher rates of substance use disorders due in large part to the drug s effect on brain reward systems dependence an adaptive state associated with a withdrawal syndrome upon cessation of repeated exposure to a stimulus e g drug intake drug sensitization or reverse tolerance the escalating effect of a drug resulting from repeated administration at a given dose drug withdrawal symptoms that occur upon cessation of repeated drug use physical dependence dependence that involves persistent physical somatic withdrawal symptoms e g fatigue and delirium tremens psychological dependence dependence socially seen as being extremely mild compared to physical dependence e g with enough willpower it could be overcome reinforcing stimuli stimuli that increase the probability of repeating behaviors paired with them rewarding stimuli stimuli that the brain interprets as intrinsically positive and desirable or as something to approach sensitization an amplified response to a stimulus resulting from repeated exposure to it substance use disorder a condition in which the use of substances leads to clinically and functionally significant impairment or distress tolerance the diminishing effect of a drug resulting from repeated administration at a given dosevte Drug addiction edit Drug addiction which belongs to the class of substance related disorders is a chronic and relapsing brain disorder that features drug seeking and drug abuse despite their harmful effects 25 This form of addiction changes brain circuitry such that the brain s reward system is compromised 26 causing functional consequences for stress management and self control 25 Damage to the functions of the organs involved can persist throughout a lifetime and cause death if untreated 25 Substances involved with drug addiction include alcohol nicotine marijuana opioids cocaine amphetamines and even foods with high fat and sugar content 27 Addictions can begin experimentally in social contexts 28 and can arise from the use of prescribed medications or a variety of other measures 29 Drug addiction has been shown to work in phenomenological conditioning operant and classical cognitive models and the cue reactivity model However no one model completely illustrates substance abuse 30 Risk factors for addiction include Aggressive behavior particularly in childhood Availability of substance 28 Community economic status Experimentation 28 Epigenetics Impulsivity attentional motor or non planning 31 Lack of parental supervision 28 Lack of peer refusal skills 28 Mental disorders 28 Method substance is taken 25 Usage of substance in youth 28 Food addiction edit Main article Food addiction The diagnostic criteria for food or eating addiction has not been categorized or defined in references such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM or DSM 5 and is based on subjective experiences similar to substance use disorders 32 31 Food addiction may be found in those with eating disorders though not all people with eating disorders have food addiction and not all of those with food addiction have a diagnosed eating disorder 32 Long term frequent and excessive consumption of foods high in fat salt or sugar such as chocolate can produce an addiction 33 34 similar to drugs since they trigger the brain s reward system such that the individual may desire the same foods to an increasing degree over time 35 32 31 The signals sent when consuming highly palatable foods have the ability to counteract the body s signals for fullness and persistent cravings will result 35 Those who show signs of food addiction may develop food tolerances in which they eat more despite the food becoming less satisfactory 35 Chocolate s sweet flavor and pharmacological ingredients are known to create a strong craving or feel addictive by the consumer 36 A person who has a strong liking for chocolate may refer to themselves as a chocoholic Risk factors for developing food addiction include excessive overeating and impulsivity 31 The Yale Food Addiction Scale YFAS version 2 0 is the current standard measure for assessing whether an individual exhibits signs and symptoms of food addiction 37 32 31 It was developed in 2009 at Yale University on the hypothesis that foods high in fat sugar and salt have addictive like effects which contribute to problematic eating habits 38 35 The YFAS is designed to address 11 substance related and addictive disorders SRADs using a 25 item self report questionnaire based on the diagnostic criteria for SRADs as per DSM 5 39 32 A potential food addiction diagnosis is predicted by the presence of at least two out of 11 SRADs and a significant impairment to daily activities 40 The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale specifically the BIS 11 scale and the UPPS P Impulsive Behavior subscales of Negative Urgency and Lack of Perseverance have been shown to have relation to food addiction 31 Behavioral addiction editMain article Behavioral addiction The term behavioral addiction refers to a compulsion to engage in a natural reward which is a behavior that is inherently rewarding i e desirable or appealing despite adverse consequences 6 33 34 Preclinical evidence has demonstrated that marked increases in the expression of DFosB through repetitive and excessive exposure to a natural reward induces the same behavioral effects and neuroplasticity as occurs in a drug addiction 33 41 42 43 Addiction can exist in the absence of psychotropic drugs which was popularized by Peele 44 These are termed behavioral addictions Such addictions may be passive or active but they commonly contain reinforcing features which are found in most addictions 44 Sexual behavior eating gambling playing video games and shopping are all associated with compulsive behaviors in humans and have been shown to activate the mesolimbic pathway and other parts of the reward system 33 Based on this evidence sexual addiction gambling addiction video game addiction and shopping addiction are classified accordingly 33 45 Sexual edit Main article Sexual addiction Sexual addiction involves an engagement in excessive compulsive or otherwise problematic sexual behavior that persists despite negative physiological psychological social and occupational consequences 46 Sexual addiction may be referred to as hypersexuality or compulsive sexual behavior disorder 46 The DSM 5 does not recognize sexual addiction as a clinical diagnosis Hypersexuality disorder and internet addiction disorder were among proposed addictions to the DSM 5 but were later rejected due to the insufficient evidence available in support of the existence of these disorders as discrete mental health conditions 47 Reviews of both clinical research in humans and preclinical studies involving DFosB have identified compulsive sexual activity specifically any form of sexual intercourse as an addiction i e sexual addiction 33 41 Reward cross sensitization between amphetamine and sexual activity meaning that exposure to one increases the desire for both has been shown to occur as a dopamine dysregulation syndrome 33 41 42 43 DFosB expression is required for this cross sensitization effect which intensifies with the level of DFosB expression 33 42 43 Gambling edit Main articles Gambling and Problem gambling Gambling provides a natural reward that is associated with compulsive behavior 33 Functional neuroimaging evidence shows that gambling activates the reward system and the mesolimbic pathway in particular 33 45 It is known that dopamine is involved in learning motivation as well as the reward system 48 26 The exact role of dopamine in gambling addiction has been debated 48 Suggested roles for D2 D3 and D4 dopamine receptors as well as D3 receptors in the substantia nigra have been found in rat and human models showing a correlation with the severity of the gambling behavior 48 This in turn was linked with greater dopamine release in the dorsal striatum 48 Gambling addictions are linked with comorbidities such as mental health disorders substance abuse alcohol use disorder and personality disorders 49 Risk factors for gambling addictions include antisocial behavior impulsive personality 31 male sex sensation seeking 50 substance use and young age Gambling addiction has been associated with some personality traits including harm avoidance low self direction decision making and planning insufficiencies impulsivity as well as sensation seeking individuals 50 Although some personality traits can be linked with gambling addiction there is no general description of individuals addicted to gambling 50 Internet edit Main article Internet addiction disorder Internet addiction does not have any standardized definition yet there is widespread agreement that this problem exists 51 Debate over the classification of problematic internet use considers whether it should be thought of as a behavioral addiction an impulse control disorder or an obsessive compulsive disorder 52 53 Others argue that internet addiction should be considered a symptom of an underlying mental health condition and not a disorder in itself 54 Internet addiction has been described as a psychological dependence on the Internet regardless of the type of activity once logged on 51 Problematic internet use may include a preoccupation with the internet and or digital media excessive time spent using the internet despite resultant distress in the individual increase in the amount of internet use required to achieve the same desired emotional response loss of control over one s internet use habits withdrawal symptoms and continued problematic internet use despite negative consequences to one s work social academic or personal life 55 Studies conducted in India United States Asia and Europe have identified Internet addiction prevalence rates ranging in value from 1 to 19 with the adolescent population having high rates compared to other age groups 56 57 Prevalence rates have been difficult to establish due to a lack of universally accepted diagnostic criteria a lack of diagnostic instruments demonstrating cross cultural validity and reliability and existing controversy surrounding the validity of labeling problematic internet use as an addictive disorder 58 57 The most common scale used to measure addiction is the Internet Addiction Test developed by Kimberly Young 57 People with internet addiction are likely to have a comorbid psychiatric disorder Comorbid diagnoses identified alongside internet addiction include affective mood disorders anxiety disorders substance use disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 58 Video games edit Main article Video game addiction Video game addiction is characterized by the World Health Organization WHO as excessive gaming behavior potentially prioritized over other interests despite the negative consequences that may arise for a period of at least 12 months 59 In May 2019 the WHO introduced gaming disorder in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases 60 Video game addiction has been shown to be more prevalent in males than females higher by 2 9 times 61 It has been suggested that people of younger ages are more prone to become addicted to video games 61 People with certain personalities may be more susceptible to gaming addictions 61 62 Risk factors for video game addiction include Male Psychopathologies e g ADHD or MDD and Social anxiety 63 Shopping edit Main articles Shopping addiction and Compulsive buying disorder Shopping addiction or compulsive buying disorder CBD is the excessive urge to shop or spend potentially resulting in unwanted consequences 64 These consequences can have serious impacts such as increased consumer debt negatively affected relationships increased risk of illegal behavior and suicide attempts 64 Shopping addiction occurs worldwide and has shown a 5 8 prevalence in the United States 65 Similar to other behavioral addictions CBD can be linked to mood disorders substance use disorders eating disorders and other disorders involving a lack of control 65 Signs and symptoms editSigns and symptoms of addiction can vary depending on the type of addiction Symptoms of drug addictions may include Continuation of drug use despite the knowledge of consequences 32 Disregarding financial status when it comes to drug purchases Ensuring a stable supply of the drug Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when stopping the drug 66 32 Needing more of the drug over time to achieve similar effects 32 Social and work life impacted due to drug use 32 Unsuccessful attempts to stop drug use 32 Urge to use drug regularly Signs and symptoms of addiction may include Behavioral Changes Physical Changes Social Changes Angry and irritable Changes to eating or sleeping habits Changes to personality and attitude Decreased attendance and performance in workplace or school setting 32 Fearful paranoid and anxious without probable cause 67 Frequently engaging in conflicts fights illegal activity Frequent or sudden changes in mood and temperament Hiding or in denial of certain behaviors Lack of motivation Periodic hyperactivity Using substances in inappropriate settings Abnormal pupil size Bloodshot eyes Body odor Impaired motor coordination 67 Periodic tremors Poor physical appearance Slurred speech Sudden changes in weight Changes in hobbies Changes to financial status unexplained need for money Legal problems related to substance abuse Sudden changes in friends and associates Use of substance despite consequences to personal relationships 67 Screening and assessment editAddictions Neuroclinical Assessment edit The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment is used to diagnose addiction disorders This tool measures three different domains executive function incentive salience and negative emotionality 68 69 Executive functioning consists of processes that would be disrupted in addiction 69 In the context of addiction incentive salience determines how one perceives the addictive substance 69 Increased negative emotional responses have been found with individuals with addictions 69 Tobacco Alcohol Prescription Medication and Other Substance Use TAPS edit This is a screening and assessment tool in one assessing commonly used substances This tool allows for a simple diagnosis eliminating the need for several screening and assessment tools as it includes both TAPS 1 and TAPS 2 screening and assessment tools respectively The screening component asks about the frequency of use of the specific substance tobacco alcohol prescription medication and other 70 If an individual screens positive the second component will begin This dictates the risk level of the substance 70 CRAFFT edit The CRAFFT Car Relax Alone Forget Family and Friends Trouble is a screening tool that is used in medical centers The CRAFFT is in version 2 1 and has a version for nicotine and tobacco use called the CRAFFT 2 1 N 71 This tool is used to identify substance use substance related driving risk and addictions among adolescents This tool uses a set of questions for different scenarios 72 In the case of a specific combination of answers different question sets can be used to yield a more accurate answer After the questions the DSM 5 criteria are used to identify the likelihood of the person having substance use disorder 72 After these tests are done the clinician is to give the 5 RS of brief counseling The five Rs of brief counseling includes REVIEW screening results RECOMMEND to not use RIDING DRIVING risk counseling RESPONSE elicit self motivational statements REINFORCE self efficacy 72 Drug Abuse Screening Test DAST 10 edit The Drug Abuse Screening Test DAST is a self reporting tool that measures problematic substance use 73 Responses to this test are recorded as yes or no answers and scored as a number between zero and 28 Drug abuse or dependence are indicated by a cut off score of 6 73 Three versions of this screening tool are in use DAST 28 DAST 20 and DAST 10 Each of these instruments are copyrighted by Dr Harvey A Skinner 73 Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Test ASSIST edit The Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Test ASSIST is an interview based questionnaire consisting of eight questions developed by the WHO 74 The questions ask about lifetime use frequency of use urge to use frequency of health financial social or legal problems related to use failure to perform duties if anyone has raised concerns over use attempts to limit or moderate use and use by injection 75 Causes editPersonality theories edit Main article Personality theories of addiction Personality theories of addiction are psychological models that associate personality traits or modes of thinking i e affective states with an individual s proclivity for developing an addiction Data analysis demonstrates that psychological profiles of drug users and non users have significant differences and the psychological predisposition to using different drugs may be different 76 Models of addiction risk that have been proposed in psychology literature include an affect dysregulation model of positive and negative psychological affects the reinforcement sensitivity theory of impulsiveness and behavioral inhibition and an impulsivity model of reward sensitization and impulsiveness 77 78 79 80 81 Neuropsychology edit The transtheoretical model of change TTM can point to how someone may be conceptualizing their addiction and the thoughts around it including not being aware of their addiction 82 Cognitive control and stimulus control which is associated with operant and classical conditioning represent opposite processes i e internal vs external or environmental respectively that compete over the control of an individual s elicited behaviors 83 Cognitive control and particularly inhibitory control over behavior is impaired in both addiction and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 84 85 Stimulus driven behavioral responses i e stimulus control that are associated with a particular rewarding stimulus tend to dominate one s behavior in an addiction 85 Operant conditioningExtinction ReinforcementIncrease behaviorPunishmentDecrease behavior Positive reinforcementAdd appetitive stimulusfollowing correct behaviorNegative reinforcementPositive punishmentAdd noxious stimulusfollowing behaviorNegative punishmentRemove appetitive stimulusfollowing behavior EscapeRemove noxious stimulusfollowing correct behaviorActive avoidanceBehavior avoids noxious stimulus Stimulus control of behavior edit See also Stimulus control In operant conditioning behavior is influenced by outside stimulus such as a drug The operant conditioning theory of learning is useful in understanding why the mood altering or stimulating consequences of drug use can reinforce continued use an example of positive reinforcement and why the addicted person seeks to avoid withdrawal through continued use an example of negative reinforcement Stimulus control is using the absence of the stimulus or presence of a reward to influence the resulting behavior 82 Cognitive control of behavior edit See also Cognitive control Cognitive control is the intentional selection of thoughts behaviors and emotions based on our environment It has been shown that drugs alter the way our brains function and its structure 86 26 Cognitive functions such as learning memory and impulse control are affected by drugs 86 These effects promote drug use as well as hinder the ability to abstain from it 86 The increase in dopamine release is prominent in drug use specifically in the ventral striatum and the nucleus accumbens 86 Dopamine is responsible for producing pleasurable feelings as well driving us to perform important life activities Addictive drugs cause a significant increase in this reward system causing a large increase in dopamine signaling as well as increase in reward seeking behavior in turn motivating drug use 86 26 This promotes the development of a maladaptive drug to stimulus relationship 87 Early drug use leads to these maladaptive associations later affecting cognitive processes used for coping which are needed to successfully abstain from them 86 82 Risk factors editFurther information Addiction vulnerability A number of genetic and environmental risk factors exist for developing an addiction 2 88 Genetic and environmental risk factors each account for roughly half of an individual s risk for developing an addiction 2 the contribution from epigenetic risk factors to the total risk is unknown 88 Even in individuals with a relatively low genetic risk exposure to sufficiently high doses of an addictive drug for a long period of time e g weeks months can result in an addiction 2 Adverse childhood events are associated with negative health outcomes such as substance use disorder Childhood abuse or exposure to violent crime is related to developing a mood or anxiety disorder as well as a substance dependence risk 89 Genetic factors edit Main articles Epigenetics of cocaine addiction and Molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of alcoholism Further information Alcoholism Genetic variation History of drinking History of smoking and Prevalence of tobacco use Genetic factors along with socio environmental e g psychosocial factors have been established as significant contributors to addiction vulnerability 2 88 90 32 Studies done on 350 hospitalized drug dependent patients showed that over half met the criteria for alcohol abuse with a role of familial factors being prevalent 91 Genetic factors account for 40 60 of the risk factors for alcoholism 92 Similar rates of heritability for other types of drug addiction have been indicated specifically in genes that encode the Alpha5 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor 93 Knestler hypothesized in 1964 that a gene or group of genes might contribute to predisposition to addiction in several ways For example altered levels of a normal protein due to environmental factors may change the structure or functioning of specific brain neurons during development These altered brain neurons could affect the susceptibility of an individual to an initial drug use experience In support of this hypothesis animal studies have shown that environmental factors such as stress can affect an animal s genetic expression 93 In humans twin studies into addiction have provided some of the highest quality evidence of this link with results finding that if one twin is affected by addiction the other twin is likely to be as well and to the same substance 94 Further evidence of a genetic component is research findings from family studies which suggest that if one family member has a history of addiction the chances of a relative or close family developing those same habits are much higher than one who has not been introduced to addiction at a young age 95 The data implicating specific genes in the development of drug addiction is mixed for most genes Many addiction studies that aim to identify specific genes focus on common variants with an allele frequency of greater than 5 in the general population When associated with disease these only confer a small amount of additional risk with an odds ratio of 1 1 1 3 percent this has led to the development the rare variant hypothesis which states that genes with low frequencies in the population lt 1 confer much greater additional risk in the development of the disease 96 Genome wide association studies GWAS are used to examine genetic associations with dependence addiction and drug use 90 These studies rarely identify genes from proteins previously described via animal knockout models and candidate gene analysis Instead large percentages of genes involved in processes such as cell adhesion are commonly identified The important effects of endophenotypes are typically not capable of being captured by these methods Genes identified in GWAS for drug addiction may be involved either in adjusting brain behavior before drug experiences subsequent to them or both 97 Environmental factors edit Environmental risk factors for addiction are the experiences of an individual during their lifetime that interact with the individual s genetic composition to increase or decrease his or her vulnerability to addiction 2 For example after the nationwide outbreak of COVID 19 more people quit vs started smoking and smokers on average reduced the quantity of cigarettes they consumed 98 More generally a number of different environmental factors have been implicated as risk factors for addiction including various psychosocial stressors The National Institute on Drug Abuse NIDA and studies cite lack of parental supervision the prevalence of peer substance use substance availability and poverty as risk factors for substance use among children and adolescents 99 28 The brain disease model of addiction posits that an individual s exposure to an addictive drug is the most significant environmental risk factor for addiction 100 Many researchers including neuroscientists indicate that the brain disease model presents a misleading incomplete and potentially detrimental explanation of addiction 101 The psychoanalytic theory model defines addiction as a form of defense against feelings of hopelessness and helplessness as well as a symptom of failure to regulate powerful emotions related to adverse childhood experiences ACEs various forms of maltreatment and dysfunction experienced in childhood In this case the addictive substance provides brief but total relief and positive feelings of control 82 The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown a strong dose response relationship between ACEs and numerous health social and behavioral problems throughout a person s lifespan including substance use disorder 102 Children s neurological development can be permanently disrupted when they are chronically exposed to stressful events such as physical emotional or sexual abuse physical or emotional neglect witnessing violence in the household or a parent being incarcerated or having a mental illness As a result the child s cognitive functioning or ability to cope with negative or disruptive emotions may be impaired Over time the child may adopt substance use as a coping mechanism or as a result of reduced impulse control particularly during adolescence 102 28 82 Vast amounts of children who experienced abuse have gone on to have some form of addiction in their adolescence or adult life 103 This pathway towards addiction that is opened through stressful experiences during childhood can be avoided by a change in environmental factors throughout an individual s life and opportunities of professional help 103 If one has friends or peers who engage in drug use favorably the chances of them developing an addiction increases Family conflict and home management is a cause for one to become engaged in alcohol or other drug use 104 Social control theory edit Main article Social control theory According to Travis Hirschi s social control theory adolescents with stronger attachments to family religious academic and other social institutions are less likely to engage in delinquent and maladaptive behavior such as drug and alcohol use leading to addiction 105 Age edit Adolescence represents a period of increased vulnerability for developing an addiction 106 In adolescence the incentive rewards systems in the brain mature well before the cognitive control center This consequentially grants the incentive rewards systems a disproportionate amount of power in the behavioral decision making process Therefore adolescents are increasingly likely to act on their impulses and engage in risky potentially addicting behavior before considering the consequences 107 Not only are adolescents more likely to initiate and maintain drug use but once addicted they are more resistant to treatment and more liable to relapse 108 109 Most individuals are exposed to and use addictive drugs for the first time during their teenage years 110 In the United States there were just over 2 8 million new users of illicit drugs in 2013 7 800 new users per day 110 among them 54 1 were under 18 years of age 110 In 2011 there were approximately 20 6 million people in the United States over the age of 12 with an addiction 111 Over 90 of those with an addiction began drinking smoking or using illicit drugs before the age of 18 111 Comorbid disorders edit Individuals with comorbid i e co occurring mental health disorders such as depression anxiety attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD or post traumatic stress disorder are more likely to develop substance use disorders 112 113 114 28 The NIDA cites early aggressive behavior as a risk factor for substance use 99 The National Bureau of Economic Research found that there is a definite connection between mental illness and the use of addictive substances and a majority of mental health patients participate in the use of these substances 38 alcohol 44 cocaine and 40 cigarettes 115 Epigenetic edit Epigenetics is the study of stable phenotypic changes that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence 116 Illicit drug use has been found to cause epigenetic changes in DNA methylation as well as chromatin remodeling 117 The epigenetic state of chromatin may pose as a risk for the development of substance addictions 117 It has been found that emotional stressors as well as social adversities may lead to an initial epigenetic response which causes an alteration to the reward signalling pathways 117 This change may predispose one to experience a positive response to drug use 117 Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance edit Main article Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance Epigenetic genes and their products e g proteins are the key components through which environmental influences can affect the genes of an individual 88 they serve as the mechanism responsible for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance a phenomenon in which environmental influences on the genes of a parent can affect the associated traits and behavioral phenotypes of their offspring e g behavioral responses to environmental stimuli 88 In addiction epigenetic mechanisms play a central role in the pathophysiology of the disease 2 it has been noted that some of the alterations to the epigenome which arise through chronic exposure to addictive stimuli during an addiction can be transmitted across generations in turn affecting the behavior of one s children e g the child s behavioral responses to addictive drugs and natural rewards 88 118 The general classes of epigenetic alterations that have been implicated in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance include DNA methylation histone modifications and downregulation or upregulation of microRNAs 88 With respect to addiction more research is needed to determine the specific heritable epigenetic alterations that arise from various forms of addiction in humans and the corresponding behavioral phenotypes from these epigenetic alterations that occur in human offspring 88 118 Based on preclinical evidence from animal research certain addiction induced epigenetic alterations in rats can be transmitted from parent to offspring and produce behavioral phenotypes that decrease the offspring s risk of developing an addiction note 1 88 More generally the heritable behavioral phenotypes that are derived from addiction induced epigenetic alterations and transmitted from parent to offspring may serve to either increase or decrease the offspring s risk of developing an addiction 88 118 Mechanisms editAddiction is a disorder of the brain s reward system developing through transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms as a result of chronically high levels of exposure to an addictive stimulus e g eating food the use of cocaine engagement in sexual activity participation in high thrill cultural activities such as gambling etc over extended time 2 119 33 DeltaFosB DFosB a gene transcription factor is a critical component and common factor in the development of virtually all forms of behavioral and drug addictions 119 33 120 34 Two decades of research into DFosB s role in addiction have demonstrated that addiction arises and the associated compulsive behavior intensifies or attenuates along with the overexpression of DFosB in the D1 type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens 2 119 33 120 Due to the causal relationship between DFosB expression and addictions it is used preclinically as an addiction biomarker 2 119 120 DFosB expression in these neurons directly and positively regulates drug self administration and reward sensitization through positive reinforcement while decreasing sensitivity to aversion note 2 2 119 Transcription factor glossarygene expression the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product such as a protein transcription the process of making messenger RNA mRNA from a DNA template by RNA polymerase transcription factor a protein that binds to DNA and regulates gene expression by promoting or suppressing transcription transcriptional regulation controlling the rate of gene transcription for example by helping or hindering RNA polymerase binding to DNA upregulation activation or promotion increase the rate of gene transcription downregulation repression or suppression decrease the rate of gene transcription coactivator a protein or a small molecule that works with transcription factors to increase the rate of gene transcription corepressor a protein or a small molecule that works with transcription factors to decrease the rate of gene transcription response element a specific sequence of DNA that a transcription factor binds tovte Signaling cascade in the nucleus accumbens that results in psychostimulant addictionvte nbsp Note colored text contains article links Nuclear pore Nuclear membrane Plasma membrane Cav1 2 NMDAR AMPAR DRD1 DRD5 DRD2 DRD3 DRD4 Gs Gi o AC cAMP cAMP PKA CaM CaMKII DARPP 32 PP1 PP2B CREB DFosB JunD c Fos SIRT1 HDAC1 Color legend 1 nbsp This diagram depicts the signaling events in the brain s reward center that are induced by chronic high dose exposure to psychostimulants that increase the concentration of synaptic dopamine like amphetamine methamphetamine and phenethylamine Following presynaptic dopamine and glutamate co release by such psychostimulants 121 122 postsynaptic receptors for these neurotransmitters trigger internal signaling events through a cAMP dependent pathway and a calcium dependent pathway that ultimately result in increased CREB phosphorylation 121 123 124 Phosphorylated CREB increases levels of DFosB which in turn represses the c Fos gene with the help of corepressors 121 125 126 c Fos repression acts as a molecular switch that enables the accumulation of DFosB in the neuron 127 A highly stable phosphorylated form of DFosB one that persists in neurons for 1 2 months slowly accumulates following repeated high dose exposure to stimulants through this process 125 126 DFosB functions as one of the master control proteins that produces addiction related structural changes in the brain and upon sufficient accumulation with the help of its downstream targets e g nuclear factor kappa B it induces an addictive state 125 126 Chronic addictive drug use causes alterations in gene expression in the mesocorticolimbic projection 34 128 129 The most important transcription factors that produce these alterations are DFosB cAMP response element binding protein CREB and nuclear factor kappa B NF kB 34 DFosB is the most significant biomolecular mechanism in addiction because the overexpression of DFosB in the D1 type medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens is necessary and sufficient for many of the neural adaptations and behavioral effects e g expression dependent increases in drug self administration and reward sensitization seen in drug addiction 34 DFosB expression in nucleus accumbens D1 type medium spiny neurons directly and positively regulates drug self administration and reward sensitization through positive reinforcement while decreasing sensitivity to aversion note 2 2 119 DFosB has been implicated in mediating addictions to many different drugs and drug classes including alcohol amphetamine and other substituted amphetamines cannabinoids cocaine methylphenidate nicotine opiates phenylcyclidine and propofol among others 119 34 128 130 131 DJunD a transcription factor and G9a a histone methyltransferase both oppose the function of DFosB and inhibit increases in its expression 2 34 132 Increases in nucleus accumbens DJunD expression via viral vector mediated gene transfer or G9a expression via pharmacological means reduces or with a large increase can even block many of the neural and behavioral alterations that result from chronic high dose use of addictive drugs i e the alterations mediated by DFosB 120 34 DFosB plays an important role in regulating behavioral responses to natural rewards such as palatable food sex and exercise 34 133 Natural rewards like drugs of abuse induce gene expression of DFosB in the nucleus accumbens and chronic acquisition of these rewards can result in a similar pathological addictive state through DFosB overexpression 33 34 133 Consequently DFosB is the key transcription factor involved in addictions to natural rewards i e behavioral addictions as well 34 33 133 in particular DFosB in the nucleus accumbens is critical for the reinforcing effects of sexual reward 133 Research on the interaction between natural and drug rewards suggests that dopaminergic psychostimulants e g amphetamine and sexual behavior act on similar biomolecular mechanisms to induce DFosB in the nucleus accumbens and possess bidirectional cross sensitization effects that are mediated through DFosB 33 42 43 This phenomenon is notable since in humans a dopamine dysregulation syndrome characterized by drug induced compulsive engagement in natural rewards specifically sexual activity shopping and gambling has been observed in some individuals taking dopaminergic medications 33 DFosB inhibitors drugs or treatments that oppose its action may be an effective treatment for addiction and addictive disorders 134 The release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens plays a role in the reinforcing qualities of many forms of stimuli including naturally reinforcing stimuli like palatable food and sex 135 136 32 Altered dopamine neurotransmission is frequently observed following the development of an addictive state 33 26 In humans and lab animals that have developed an addiction alterations in dopamine or opioid neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens and other parts of the striatum are evident 33 Use of certain drugs e g cocaine affect cholinergic neurons that innervate the reward system in turn affecting dopamine signaling in this region 137 Reward system edit Main article Reward system Mesocorticolimbic pathway edit DFosB accumulation from excessive drug use nbsp Top this depicts the initial effects of high dose exposure to an addictive drug on gene expression in the nucleus accumbens for various Fos family proteins i e c Fos FosB DFosB Fra1 and Fra2 Bottom this illustrates the progressive increase in DFosB expression in the nucleus accumbens following repeated twice daily drug binges where these phosphorylated 35 37 kilodalton DFosB isoforms persist in the D1 type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens for up to 2 months 126 138 Understanding the pathways in which drugs act and how drugs can alter those pathways is key when examining the biological basis of drug addiction The reward pathway known as the mesolimbic pathway 26 or its extension the mesocorticolimbic pathway is characterized by the interaction of several areas of the brain The projections from the ventral tegmental area VTA are a network of dopaminergic neurons with co localized postsynaptic glutamate receptors AMPAR and NMDAR These cells respond when stimuli indicative of a reward are present 32 The VTA supports learning and sensitization development and releases dopamine DA into the forebrain 139 These neurons project and release DA into the nucleus accumbens 140 through the mesolimbic pathway Virtually all drugs causing drug addiction increase the DA release in the mesolimbic pathway 141 26 The nucleus accumbens NAcc is one output of the VTA projections The nucleus accumbens itself consists mainly of GABAergic medium spiny neurons MSNs 142 The NAcc is associated with acquiring and eliciting conditioned behaviors and is involved in the increased sensitivity to drugs as addiction progresses 139 31 Overexpression of DFosB in the nucleus accumbens is a necessary common factor in essentially all known forms of addiction 2 DFosB is a strong positive modulator of positively reinforced behaviors 2 The prefrontal cortex including the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices 143 31 is another VTA output in the mesocorticolimbic pathway it is important for the integration of information which helps determine whether a behavior will be elicited 144 It is critical for forming associations between the rewarding experience of drug use and cues in the environment Importantly these cues are strong mediators of drug seeking behavior and can trigger relapse even after months or years of abstinence 145 26 Other brain structures that are involved in addiction include The basolateral amygdala projects into the NAcc and is thought to be important for motivation 144 The hippocampus is involved in drug addiction because of its role in learning and memory Much of this evidence stems from investigations showing that manipulating cells in the hippocampus alters DA levels in NAcc and firing rates of VTA dopaminergic cells 140 Role of dopamine and glutamate edit Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter of the reward system in the brain It plays a role in regulating movement emotion cognition motivation and feelings of pleasure 146 Natural rewards like eating as well as recreational drug use cause a release of dopamine and are associated with the reinforcing nature of these stimuli 146 147 32 Nearly all addictive drugs directly or indirectly act on the brain s reward system by heightening dopaminergic activity 148 26 Excessive intake of many types of addictive drugs results in repeated release of high amounts of dopamine which in turn affects the reward pathway directly through heightened dopamine receptor activation Prolonged and abnormally high levels of dopamine in the synaptic cleft can induce receptor downregulation in the neural pathway Downregulation of mesolimbic dopamine receptors can result in a decrease in the sensitivity to natural reinforcers 146 Drug seeking behavior is induced by glutamatergic projections from the prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens This idea is supported with data from experiments showing that drug seeking behavior can be prevented following the inhibition of AMPA glutamate receptors and glutamate release in the nucleus accumbens 143 Reward sensitization edit Neural and behavioral effects of validated DFosB transcriptional targets in the striatum 119 149 Targetgene Targetexpression Neural effects Behavioral effects c Fos Molecular switch enabling the chronicinduction of DFosB note 3 dynorphin note 4 Downregulation of k opioid feedback loop Increased drug reward NF kB Expansion of NAcc dendritic processes NF kB inflammatory response in the NAcc NF kB inflammatory response in the CPTooltip caudate putamen Increased drug reward Locomotor sensitization GluR2 Decreased sensitivity to glutamate Increased drug reward Cdk5 GluR1 synaptic protein phosphorylation Expansion of NAcc dendritic processes Decreased drug reward net effect Reward sensitization is a process that causes an increase in the amount of reward specifically incentive salience note 5 that is assigned by the brain to a rewarding stimulus e g a drug In simple terms when reward sensitization to a specific stimulus e g a drug occurs an individual s wanting or desire for the stimulus itself and its associated cues increases 151 150 152 Reward sensitization normally occurs following chronically high levels of exposure to the stimulus 26 DFosB expression in D1 type medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens has been shown to directly and positively regulate reward sensitization involving drugs and natural rewards 2 119 120 Cue induced wanting or cue triggered wanting a form of craving that occurs in addiction is responsible for most of the compulsive behavior that people with addictions exhibit 150 152 During the development of an addiction the repeated association of otherwise neutral and even non rewarding stimuli with drug consumption triggers an associative learning process that causes these previously neutral stimuli to act as conditioned positive reinforcers of addictive drug use i e these stimuli start to function as drug cues 150 153 152 As conditioned positive reinforcers of drug use these previously neutral stimuli are assigned incentive salience which manifests as a craving sometimes at pathologically high levels due to reward sensitization which can transfer to the primary reinforcer e g the use of an addictive drug with which it was originally paired 150 153 152 Research on the interaction between natural and drug rewards suggests that dopaminergic psychostimulants e g amphetamine and sexual behavior act on similar biomolecular mechanisms to induce DFosB in the nucleus accumbens and possess a bidirectional reward cross sensitization effect note 6 that is mediated through DFosB 33 42 43 In contrast to DFosB s reward sensitizing effect CREB transcriptional activity decreases user s sensitivity to the rewarding effects of the substance CREB transcription in the nucleus accumbens is implicated in psychological dependence and symptoms involving a lack of pleasure or motivation during drug withdrawal 2 138 149 Summary of addiction related plasticity Form of neuroplasticity or behavioral plasticity Type of reinforcer Sources Opiates Psychostimulants High fat or sugar food Sexual intercourse Physical exercise aerobic Environmentalenrichment DFosB expression innucleus accumbens D1 type MSNsTooltip medium spiny neurons 33 Behavioral plasticity Escalation of intake Yes Yes Yes 33 Psychostimulantcross sensitization Yes Not applicable Yes Yes Attenuated Attenuated 33 Psychostimulantself administration 33 Psychostimulantconditioned place preference 33 Reinstatement of drug seeking behavior 33 Neurochemical plasticity CREBTooltip cAMP response element binding protein phosphorylationin the nucleus accumbens 33 Sensitized dopamine responsein the nucleus accumbens No Yes No Yes 33 Altered striatal dopamine signaling DRD2 DRD3 DRD1 DRD2 DRD3 DRD1 DRD2 DRD3 DRD2 DRD2 33 Altered striatal opioid signaling No change or m opioid receptors m opioid receptors k opioid receptors m opioid receptors m opioid receptors No change No change 33 Changes in striatal opioid peptides dynorphinNo change enkephalin dynorphin enkephalin dynorphin dynorphin 33 Mesocorticolimbic synaptic plasticity Number of dendrites in the nucleus accumbens 33 Dendritic spine density inthe nucleus accumbens 33 Neuroepigenetic mechanisms edit Further information Neuroepigenetics and Chromatin remodeling Altered epigenetic regulation of gene expression within the brain s reward system plays a significant and complex role in the development of drug addiction 132 154 Addictive drugs are associated with three types of epigenetic modifications within neurons 132 These are 1 histone modifications 2 epigenetic methylation of DNA at CpG sites at or adjacent to particular genes and 3 epigenetic downregulation or upregulation of microRNAs which have particular target genes 132 34 154 As an example while hundreds of genes in the cells of the nucleus accumbens NAc exhibit histone modifications following drug exposure particularly altered acetylation and methylation states of histone residues 154 most other genes in the NAc cells do not show such changes 132 Diagnosis editFurther information Substance use disorder Diagnosis and Problem gambling Diagnosis Classification edit DSM 5 edit The fifth edition of the DSM uses the term substance use disorder to refer to a spectrum of drug use related disorders The DSM 5 eliminates the terms abuse and dependence from diagnostic categories instead using the specifiers of mild moderate and severe to indicate the extent of disordered use These specifiers are determined by the number of diagnostic criteria present in a given case In the DSM 5 the term drug addiction is synonymous with severe substance use disorder 18 24 The DSM 5 introduced a new diagnostic category for behavioral addictions Problem gambling is the only condition included in this category in the fifth edition 20 Internet gaming disorder is listed as a condition requiring further study in the DSM 5 155 Past editions have used physical dependence and the associated withdrawal syndrome to identify an addictive state Physical dependence occurs when the body has adjusted by incorporating the substance into its normal functioning i e attains homeostasis and therefore physical withdrawal symptoms occur on cessation of use 156 Tolerance is the process by which the body continually adapts to the substance and requires increasingly larger amounts to achieve the original effects Withdrawal refers to physical and psychological symptoms experienced when reducing or discontinuing a substance that the body has become dependent on Symptoms of withdrawal generally include but are not limited to body aches anxiety irritability intense cravings for the substance dysphoria nausea hallucinations headaches cold sweats tremors and seizures During acute physical opioid withdrawal symptoms of restless legs syndrome are common and may be profound This phenomenon originated the idiom kicking the habit Medical researchers who actively study addiction have criticized the DSM classification of addiction for being flawed and involving arbitrary diagnostic criteria 157 ICD 11 edit The eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases commonly referred to as ICD 11 conceptualizes diagnosis somewhat differently ICD 11 first distinguishes between problems with psychoactive substance use Disorders due to substance use and behavioral addictions Disorders due to addictive behaviours 14 With regard to psychoactive substances ICD 11 explains that the included substances initially produce pleasant or appealing psychoactive effects that are rewarding and reinforcing with repeated use but with continued use many of the included substances have the capacity to produce dependence They have the potential to cause numerous forms of harm both to mental and physical health 158 Instead of the DSM 5 approach of one diagnosis Substance Use Disorder covering all types of problematic substance use ICD 11 offers three diagnostic possibilities 1 Episode of Harmful Psychoactive Substance Use 2 Harmful Pattern of Psychoactive Substance Use and 3 Substance Dependence 158 Prevention editMain articles Harm reduction and Preventive healthcare Abuse liability edit Abuse or addiction liability is the tendency to use drugs in a non medical situation This is typically for euphoria mood changing or sedation 159 Abuse liability is used when the person using the drugs wants something that they otherwise can not obtain The only way to obtain this is through the use of drugs When looking at abuse liability there are a number of determining factors in whether the drug is abused These factors are the chemical makeup of the drug the effects on the brain and the age vulnerability and the health mental and physical of the population being studied 159 There are a few drugs with a specific chemical makeup that leads to a high abuse liability These are cocaine heroin inhalants marijuana MDMA ecstasy methamphetamine PCP synthetic cannabinoids synthetic cathinones bath salts nicotine e g tobacco and alcohol 160 Potential vaccines for addiction to substances edit Vaccines for addiction have been investigated as a possibility since the early 2000s 161 The general theory of a vaccine intended to immunize against drug addiction or other substance abuse is that it would condition the immune system to attack and consume or otherwise disable the molecules of such substances that cause a reaction in the brain thus preventing the addict from being able to realize the effect of the drug Addictions that have been floated as targets for such treatment include nicotine opioids and fentanyl 162 163 164 165 Vaccines have been identified as potentially being more effective than other anti addiction treatments due to the long duration of action the certainty of administration and a potential reduction of toxicity to important organs 166 Specific addiction vaccines in development include NicVAX a conjugate vaccine intended to reduce or eliminate physical dependence on nicotine 167 This proprietary vaccine is being developed by Nabi Biopharmaceuticals 168 of Rockville MD with the support from the U S National Institute on Drug Abuse NicVAX consists of the hapten 3 aminomethylnicotine which has been conjugated attached to Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A 169 TA CD an active vaccine 170 developed by the Xenova Group which is used to negate the effects of cocaine It is created by combining norcocaine with inactivated cholera toxin It works in much the same way as a regular vaccine A large protein molecule attaches to cocaine which stimulates response from antibodies which destroy the molecule This also prevents the cocaine from crossing the blood brain barrier negating the euphoric high and rewarding effect of cocaine caused from stimulation of dopamine release in the mesolimbic reward pathway The vaccine does not affect the user s desire for cocaine only the physical effects of the drug 171 TA NIC used to create human antibodies to destroy nicotine in the human body so that it is no longer effective 172 As of September 2023 it was further reported that a vaccine has been tested against heroin and fentanyl and is on its way to being tested against oxycontin 173 Treatment and management editSee also Addiction recovery groups Cognitive behavioral therapy and Drug rehabilitation To be effective treatment for addiction that is pharmacological or biologically based need to be accompanied by other interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy CBT individual and group psychotherapy behavior modification strategies twelve step programs and residential treatment facilities 174 28 The TTM can be used to determine when treatment can begin and which method will be most effective If treatment begins too early it can cause a person to become defensive and resistant to change 82 175 A biosocial approach to the treatment of addiction brings to the fore the social determinants of illness and wellbeing and considers the dynamic and reciprocal relationships that exist for and influence the individual s experience 176 The work of A V Schlosser 2018 aims to pronounce the individual lived experiences of women receiving medication assisted treatment e g methadone naltrexone burprenorphine in a long term rehabilitation setting through a twenty month long ethnographic fieldwork investigation This person centered research shows how the experiences of these women emerge from stable systems of inequality based in intersectional gender race and class marginalization entangled with processes of intra action 177 Viewing addiction treatment through this lens highlights the importance of framing clients own bodies as social flesh As Schlosser 2018 points out client bodies as well as the embodied experiences of self and social belonging emerge in and through the structures temporalities and expectations of the treatment centre 177 Biotechnologies make up a large portion of the future treatments for addiction 178 including deep brain stimulation agonist and antagonist implants and hapten conjugate vaccines Vaccinations against addiction specifically overlaps with the belief that memory plays a large role in the damaging effects of addiction and relapses medical citation needed Hapten conjugate vaccines are designed to block opioid receptors in one area while allowing other receptors to behave normally Essentially once a high can no longer be achieved in relation to a traumatic event the relation of drugs to a traumatic memory can be disconnected and therapy can play a role in treatment 179 Behavioral therapy edit CBT proposes four assumptions essential to the approach to treatment addiction is a learned behavior it emerges in an environmental context it is developed and maintained by particular thought patterns and processes and CBT can be integrated well with other treatment and management approaches as they all have similar goals 82 CBT e g relapse prevention motivational interviewing and a community reinforcement approach are effective interventions with moderate effect sizes 180 Interventions focusing on impulsivity and sensation seeking are successful in decreasing substance use 31 Cue exposure uses ideas from classical conditioning theory to change the learned behavioral response of someone addicted to a cue or trigger Contingency management uses ideas from operant conditioning to use meaningful positive reinforcements to influence addiction behaviors towards sobriety 82 Addiction recovery groups draw on different methods and models and rely on the success of vicarious learning where people imitate behavior they observe as rewarding among their own social group or status as well as those perceived as being of a higher status 82 Substance addiction in children is complex and requires multifacted behavioral therapy Family therapy and school based interventions have had minor but lasting results Innovative treatments are still needed for areas where relevant therapies are unavailable 28 Consistent aerobic exercise especially endurance exercise e g marathon running prevents the development of certain drug addictions and is an effective adjunct treatment for drug addiction and for psychostimulant addiction in particular 33 181 182 183 184 Consistent aerobic exercise magnitude dependently i e by duration and intensity reduces drug addiction risk which appears to occur through the reversal of drug induced addiction related neuroplasticity 33 182 Exercise may prevent the development of drug addiction by altering DFosB or c Fos immunoreactivity in the striatum or other parts of the reward system 184 Aerobic exercise decreases drug self administration reduces the likelihood of relapse and induces opposite effects on striatal dopamine receptor D2 DRD2 signaling increased DRD2 density to those induced by addictions to several drug classes decreased DRD2 density 33 182 Consequently consistent aerobic exercise may lead to better treatment outcomes when used as an adjunct treatment for drug addiction 33 182 183 With a combination of tools such as behavioral therapy a balanced lifestyle and individualized relapse plans relapse is can be more successfully avoided 82 Medication edit Alcohol addiction edit Main article Alcoholism Further information Alcohol and health and Long term effects of alcohol Alcohol like opioids can induce a severe state of physical dependence and produce withdrawal symptoms such as delirium tremens Because of this treatment for alcohol addiction usually involves a combined approach dealing with dependence and addiction simultaneously Benzodiazepines have the largest and the best evidence base in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and are considered the gold standard of alcohol detoxification 185 Pharmacological treatments for alcohol addiction include drugs like naltrexone opioid antagonist disulfiram acamprosate and topiramate 186 187 Rather than substituting for alcohol these drugs are intended to affect the desire to drink either by directly reducing cravings as with acamprosate and topiramate or by producing unpleasant effects when alcohol is consumed as with disulfiram These drugs can be effective if treatment is maintained but compliance can be an issue as patients with disordered alcohol use may forget to take their medication or discontinue use because of excessive side effects 188 189 The opioid antagonist naltrexone has been shown to be an effective treatment for alcoholism with the effects lasting three to twelve months after the end of treatment 190 Behavioral addictions edit This section is transcluded from Behavioral addiction edit history Behavioral addiction is a treatable condition 191 Treatment options include psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy i e medications or a combination of both Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT is the most common form of psychotherapy used in treating behavioral addictions it focuses on identifying patterns that trigger compulsive behavior and making lifestyle changes to promote healthier behaviors Because cognitive behavioral therapy is considered a short term therapy the number of sessions for treatment normally ranges from five to twenty 192 During the session therapists will lead patients through the topics of identifying the issue becoming aware of one s thoughts surrounding the issue identifying any negative or false thinking and reshaping said negative and false thinking While CBT does not cure behavioral addiction it does help with coping with the condition in a healthy way Currently there are no medications approved for treatment of behavioral addictions in general but some medications used for treatment of drug addiction may also be beneficial with specific behavioral addictions 45 Cannabinoid addiction edit Main article Cannabis addiction The development of CB1 receptor agonists that have reduced interaction with b arrestin 2 signaling might be therapeutically useful 193 As of 2019 update there has been some evidence of effective pharmacological interventions for cannabinoid addiction but none have been approved 194 Nicotine addiction edit nbsp Transdermal patch used in nicotine replacement therapy Main article Nicotine addiction Further information Smoking cessation and Tobacco harm reduction Another area in which drug treatment has been widely used is in the treatment of nicotine addiction which usually involves the use of nicotine replacement therapy nicotinic receptor antagonists and or nicotinic receptor partial agonists 195 196 Examples of drugs that act on nicotinic receptors and have been used for treating nicotine addiction include antagonists like bupropion and the partial agonist varenicline 195 196 Cytisine a partial agonist is an effective and affordable cessation treatment for smokers 197 When access to varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy is limited due to availability or cost cytisine is considered the first line of treatment for smoking cessation 197 Opioid addiction edit Main article Opioid use disorder Further information Opioid epidemic Opioids cause physical dependence and treatment typically addresses both dependence and addiction Physical dependence is treated using replacement drugs such as buprenorphine the active ingredient in products such as Suboxone and Subutex and methadone 198 199 Although these drugs perpetuate physical dependence the goal of opiate maintenance is to provide a measure of control over both pain and cravings Use of replacement drugs increases the addicted individual s ability to function normally and eliminates the negative consequences of obtaining controlled substances illicitly Once a prescribed dosage is stabilized treatment enters maintenance or tapering phases In the United States opiate replacement therapy is tightly regulated in methadone clinics and under the DATA 2000 legislation In some countries other opioid derivatives such as dihydrocodeine 200 dihydroetorphine 201 and even heroin 202 203 are used as substitute drugs for illegal street opiates with different prescriptions being given depending on the needs of the individual patient Baclofen has led to successful reductions of cravings for stimulants alcohol and opioids and alleviates alcohol withdrawal syndrome Many patients have stated they became indifferent to alcohol or indifferent to cocaine overnight after starting baclofen therapy 204 Some studies show the interconnection between opioid drug detoxification and overdose mortality 205 Psychostimulant addiction edit There is no effective and FDA or EMA approved pharmacotherapy for any form of psychostimulant addiction 206 Experimental TAAR1 selective agonists have significant therapeutic potential as a treatment for psychostimulant addictions 207 Research edit Anti drug vaccines active immunizations for treatment of cocaine and nicotine addictions were successful in animal studies Vaccines tested on humans have been shown as safe with mild to moderate side effects though did not have firm results confirming efficacy despite producing expected antibodies 208 Vaccines which use anti drug monoclonal antibodies passive immunization can mitigate drug induced positive reinforcement by preventing the drug from moving across the blood brain barrier 209 Current as of vaccine based therapies are only effective in a relatively small subset of individuals 209 210 As of November 2015 update vaccine based therapies are being tested in human clinical trials as a treatment for addiction and preventive measure against drug overdoses involving nicotine cocaine and methamphetamine 209 The study shows that the vaccine may save lives during a drug overdose In this instance the idea is that the body will respond to the vaccine by quickly producing antibodies to prevent the opioids from accessing the brain 211 Since addiction involves abnormalities in glutamate and GABAergic neurotransmission 212 213 receptors associated with these neurotransmitters e g AMPA receptors NMDA receptors and GABAB receptors are potential therapeutic targets for addictions 212 213 214 215 N acetylcysteine which affects metabotropic glutamate receptors and NMDA receptors has shown some benefit involving addictions to cocaine heroin and cannabinoids 212 It may be useful as an adjunct therapy for addictions to amphetamine type stimulants but more clinical research is required 212 Current medical reviews of research involving lab animals have identified a drug class class I histone deacetylase inhibitors note 7 that indirectly inhibits the function and further increases in the expression of accumbal DFosB by inducing G9a expression in the nucleus accumbens after prolonged use 120 132 216 154 These reviews and subsequent preliminary evidence which used oral administration or intraperitoneal administration of the sodium salt of butyric acid or other class I HDAC inhibitors for an extended period indicate that these drugs have efficacy in reducing addictive behavior in lab animals note 8 that have developed addictions to ethanol psychostimulants i e amphetamine and cocaine nicotine and opiates 132 154 217 218 Few clinical trials involving humans with addictions and any HDAC class I inhibitors have been conducted to test for treatment efficacy in humans or identify an optimal dosing regimen note 9 Gene therapy for addiction is an active area of research One line of gene therapy research involves the use of viral vectors to increase the expression of dopamine D2 receptor proteins in the brain 220 221 222 223 224 Epidemiology editFurther information Countries by alcohol consumption Opioid epidemic and Prevalence of tobacco use Due to cultural variations the proportion of individuals who develop a drug or behavioral addiction within a specified time period i e the prevalence varies over time by country and across national population demographics e g by age group socioeconomic status etc 88 Where addiction is viewed as unacceptable there will be fewer people addicted Asia edit The prevalence of alcohol dependence is not as high as is seen in other regions In Asia not only socioeconomic factors but biological factors influence drinking behavior 225 Internet addiction disorder is highest in the Philippines according to both the IAT Internet Addiction Test 5 and the CIAS R Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale 21 226 Australia edit Further information Alcoholism in rural Australia The prevalence of substance use disorder among Australians was reported at 5 1 in 2009 227 In 2019 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare conducted a national drug survey that quantified drug use for various types of drugs and demographics 228 The national specify found that in 2019 11 of people over 14 years old smoke daily that 9 9 of those who drink alcohol which equates to 7 5 of the total population age 14 or older may qualify as alcohol dependent that 17 5 of the 2 4 million people who used cannabis in the last year may have hazardous use or a dependence problem and that 63 5 of about 300000 recent users of meth and amphetamines were at risk for developing problem use 228 Europe edit Further information Alcoholism in Ireland and Alcoholism in Russia In 2015 the estimated prevalence among the adult population was 18 4 for heavy episodic alcohol use in the past 30 days 15 2 for daily tobacco smoking and 3 8 for cannabis use 0 77 for amphetamine use 0 37 for opioid use and 0 35 for cocaine use in 2017 The mortality rates for alcohol and illicit drugs were highest in Eastern Europe 229 Data shows a downward trend of alcohol use among children 15 years old in most European countries between 2002 and 2014 First time alcohol use before the age of 13 was recorded for 28 of European children in 2014 28 United States edit Further information Cocaine in the United States Crack epidemic in the United States and Opioid epidemic in the United States Based on representative samples of the US youth population in 2011 update the lifetime prevalence note 10 of addictions to alcohol and illicit drugs has been estimated to be approximately 8 and 2 3 respectively 230 Based on representative samples of the US adult population in 2011 update the 12 month prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug addictions were estimated at 12 and 2 3 respectively 230 The lifetime prevalence of prescription drug addictions is around 4 7 231 As of 2021 update 43 7 million people aged 12 or older surveyed by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in the United States needed treatment for an addiction to alcohol nicotine or other drugs The groups with the highest number of people were 18 25 years 25 1 and American Indian or Alaska Native 28 7 232 Only about 10 or a little over 2 million receive any form of treatments and those that do generally do not receive evidence based care 233 234 One third of inpatient hospital costs and 20 of all deaths in the US every year are the result of untreated addictions and risky substance use 233 234 In spite of the massive overall economic cost to society which is greater than the cost of diabetes and all forms of cancer combined most doctors in the US lack the training to effectively address a drug addiction 233 234 Estimates of lifetime prevalence rates in the US are 1 2 for compulsive gambling 5 for sexual addiction 2 8 for food addiction and 5 6 for compulsive shopping 33 The time invariant prevalence rate for sexual addiction and related compulsive sexual behavior e g compulsive masturbation with or without pornography compulsive cybersex etc within the US ranges from 3 6 of the population 41 According to a 2017 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center almost half of US adults know a family member or close friend who has struggled with a drug addiction at some point in their life 235 In 2019 opioid addiction was acknowledged as a national crisis in the United States 236 An article in The Washington Post stated that America s largest drug companies flooded the country with pain pills from 2006 through 2012 even when it became apparent that they were fueling addiction and overdoses The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions found that from 2012 to 2013 the prevalence of Cannabis use disorder in U S adults was 2 9 237 Canada edit A Statistics Canada Survey in 2012 found the lifetime prevalence and 12 month prevalence of substance use disorders were 21 6 and 4 4 in those 15 and older 238 Alcohol abuse or dependence reported a lifetime prevalence of 18 1 and a 12 month prevalence of 3 2 238 Cannabis abuse or dependence reported a lifetime prevalence of 6 8 and a 12 month prevalence of 3 2 238 Other drug abuse or dependence has a lifetime prevalence of 4 0 and a 12 month prevalence of 0 7 238 Substance use disorder is a term used interchangeably with a drug addiction 239 In Ontario Canada between 2009 and 2017 outpatient visits for mental health and addiction increased from 52 6 to 57 2 per 100 people emergency department visits increased from 13 5 to 19 7 per 1000 people and the number of hospitalizations increased from 4 5 to 5 5 per 1000 people 240 Prevalence of care needed increased the most among the 14 17 age group overall 240 South America edit The realities of opioid use and opioid use disorder in Latin America may be deceptive if observations are limited to epidemiological findings In the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report 241 although South America produced 3 of the world s morphine and heroin and 0 01 of its opium prevalence of use is uneven According to the Inter American Commission on Drug Abuse Control consumption of heroin is low in most Latin American countries although Colombia is the area s largest opium producer Mexico because of its border with the United States has the highest incidence of use 242 Addiction and the humanities editHistory and etymology edit Main article Recreational drug use Further information Evolutionary models of human drug use History of drinking History of smoking and Substance abuse in Ancient Rome The etymology of the term addiction throughout history has been misunderstood and has taken on various meanings associated with the word 243 An example is the usage of the word in the religious landscape of early modern Europe 244 Addiction at the time meant to attach to something giving it both positive and negative connotations The object of this attachment could be characterized as good or bad 245 The meaning of addiction during the early modern period was mostly associated with positivity and goodness 244 during this early modern and highly religious era of Christian revivalism and Pietistic tendencies 244 it was seen as a way of devoting oneself to another 245 Modern research on addiction has led to a better understanding of the disease with research on the topic dating back to 1875 specifically on morphine addiction 246 This furthered the understanding of addiction being a medical condition It was not until the 19th century that addiction was seen and acknowledged in the Western world as a disease being both a physical condition and mental illness 247 Today addiction is understood both as a biopsychosocial and neurological disorder that negatively impacts those who are affected by it most commonly associated with the use of drugs and excessive use of alcohol 3 The understanding of addiction has changed throughout history which has impacted and continues to impact the ways it is medically treated and diagnosed The suffixes holic and holism edit In contemporary modern English holic is a suffix that can be added to a subject to denote an addiction to it It was extracted from the word alcoholism one of the first addictions to be widely identified both medically and socially correctly the root alcohol plus the suffix ism by misdividing or rebracketing it into alco and holism There are correct medico legal terms for such addictions dipsomania is the medico legal term for alcoholism 248 other examples are in this table Colloquial term Addiction to Medico legal term chocoholic chocolate danceaholic dance choreomania rageaholic rage sexaholic sex erotomania satyriasis nymphomania sugarholic sugar saccharomania workaholic work ergomania Arts edit The arts can be used in a variety of ways to address issues related to addiction Art can be used as a form of therapy in the treatment of substance use disorders Creative activities like painting sculpting music and writing can help people express their feelings and experiences in safe and healthy ways The arts can be used as an assessment tool to identify underlying issues that may be contributing to a person s substance use disorder Through art individuals can gain insights into their own motivations and behaviors that can be helpful in determining a course of treatment Finally the arts can be used to advocate for those suffering from a substance use disorder by raising awareness of the issue and promoting understanding and compassion Through art individuals can share their stories increase awareness and offer support and hope to those struggling with substance use disorders As therapy edit Addiction treatment is complex and not always effective due to engagement and service availability concerns so researchers prioritize efforts to improve treatment retention and decrease relapse rates 249 250 Characteristics of substance abuse may include feelings of isolation a lack of confidence communication difficulties and a perceived lack of control 251 In a similar vein people suffering from substance use disorders tend to be highly sensitive creative and as such are likely able to express themselves meaningfully in creative arts such as dancing painting writing music and acting 252 Further evidenced by Waller and Mahony 2002 253 and Kaufman 1981 254 the creative arts therapies can be a suitable treatment option for this population especially when verbal communication is ineffective Primary advantages of art therapy in the treatment of addiction have been identified as 255 256 Assess and characterize a client s substance use issues Bypassing a client s resistances defenses and denial Containing shame or anger Facilitating the expression of suppressed and or complicated emotions Highlighting a client s strengths Providing an alternative to verbal communication via use of symbols and conventional forms of therapy Providing clients with a sense of control Tackling feelings of isolation Art therapy is an effective method of dealing with substance abuse in comprehensive treatment models When included in psychoeducational programs art therapy in a group setting can help clients internalize taught concepts in a more personalized manner 257 During the course of treatment by examining and comparing artwork created at different times art therapists can be helpful in identifying and diagnosing issues as well as charting the extent or direction of improvement as a person detoxifies 257 Where increasing adherence to treatment regimes and maintaining abstinence is the target art therapists can aid by customizing treatment directives encourage the client to create collages that compare pros and cons pictures that compare past and present and future and drawings that depict what happened when a client went off medication 257 Art therapy can function as a complementary therapy used in conjunction with more conventional therapies and can can integrate with harm reduction protocols to minimize the negative effects of drug use 258 256 An evaluation of art therapy incorporation within a pre existing Addiction Treatment Programme based on the 12 step Minnesota Model endorsed by the Alcoholics Anonymous found that 66 of participants expressed the usefulness of art therapy as a part of treatment 259 256 Within the weekly art therapy session clients were able to reflect and process the intense emotions and cognitions evoked by the programme In turn the art therapy component of the programme fostered stronger self awareness exploration and externalization of repressed and unconscious emotions of clients promoting the development of a more integrated authentic self 260 256 Despite the large number of randomized control trials clinical control trials and anecdotal evidence supporting the effectiveness of art therapies for use in addiction treatment a systematic review conducted in 2018 could not find enough evidence on visual art drama dance and movement therapy or arts in health methodologies to confirm their effectiveness as interventions for reducing substance misuse 261 Music therapy was identified to have potentially strong beneficial effects in aiding contemplation and preparing those diagnosed with substance use for treatment 261 As an assessment tool edit The Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale FEATS is an assessment tool used to evaluate drawings created by people suffering from substance use disorders by comparing them to drawings of a control group consisting of individuals without SUDs 262 256 FEATS consists of twelve elements three of which were found to be particularly effective at distinguishing the drawings of those with SUDs from those without Person Realism and Developmental The Person element assesses the degree to which a human features are depicted realistically the Realism element assesses the overall complexity of the artwork and the Developmental element assesses developmental age of the artwork in relation to standardized drawings from children and adolescents 262 By using the FEATS assessment tool clinicians can gain valuable insight into the drawings of individuals with SUDs and can compare them to those of the control group Formal assessments such as FEATS provide healthcare providers with a means to quantify standardize and communicate abstract and visceral characteristics of SUDs to provide more accurate diagnoses and informed treatment decisions 262 Other artistic assessment methods include the Bird s Nest Drawing a useful tool for visualizing a client s attachment security 263 256 This assessment method looks at the amount of color used in the drawing with a lack of color indicating an insecure attachment a factor that the client s therapist or recovery framework must take into account 264 Art therapists working with children of parents suffering from alcoholism can use the Kinetic Family Drawings assessment tool to shed light on family dynamics and help children express and understand their family experiences 265 256 The KFD can be used in family sessions to allow children to share their experiences and needs with parents who may be in recovery from alcohol use disorder Depiction of isolation of self and isolation of other family members may be an indicator of parental alcoholism 265 Advocacy edit Stigma can lead to feelings of shame that can prevent people with substance use disorders from seeking help and interfere with provision of harm reduction services 266 267 268 It can influence healthcare policy making it difficult for these individuals to access treatment 269 Artists attempt to change the societal perception of addiction from a punishable moral offense to instead a chronic illness necessitating treatment This form of advocacy can help to relocate the fight of addiction from a judicial perspective to the public health system 270 Artists who have personally lived with addiction and or undergone recovery may use art to depict their experiences in a manner that uncovers the human face of addiction By bringing experiences of addiction and recovery to a personal level and breaking down the us and them the viewer may be more inclined to show compassion forego stereotypes and stigma of addiction and label addiction as a social rather than individual problem 270 According to Santora 270 the main purposes in using art as a form of advocacy in the education and prevention of substance use disorders include Addiction art exhibitions can come from a variety of sources but the underlying message of these works is the same to communicate through emotions without relying on intellectually demanding gatekept facts and figures These exhibitions can either stand alone reinforce or challenge facts A powerful educational tool for increasing awareness and understanding of addiction as a medical illness Exhibitions featuring personal stories and images can help to create lasting impressions on diverse audiences including addiction scientists researchers family friends of those affected by addiction etc highlighting the humanity of the problem and in turn encouraging compassion and understanding A way to destigmatize substance use disorders and shift public perception from viewing them as a moral failing to understanding them as a chronic medical condition which requires treatment Provide those who are struggling with addiction assurance and encouragement of healing and let them know that they are not alone in their struggle The use of visual arts can help bring attention to the lack of adequate substance use treatment prevention and education programs and services in a healthcare system Messages can encourage policymakers to allocate more resources to addiction treatment and prevention from federal state and local levels The Temple University College of Public Health department conducted a project to promote awareness around opioid use and reduce associated stigma by asking students to create art pieces that were displayed on a website they created and promoted via social media 271 Quantitative and qualitative data was recorded to measure engagement and the student artists were interviewed which revealed a change in perspective and understanding as well as greater appreciation of diverse experiences Ultimately the project found that art was an effective medium for empowering both the artist creating the work and the person interacting with it 271 Another author critically examined works by contemporary Canadian artists that deal with addiction via the metaphor of a cultural landscape to unmap and remap ideologies related to Indigenous communities and addiction to demonstrate how colonial violence in Canada has drastically impacted the relationship between Indigenous peoples their land and substance abuse 272 A project known as Voice was a collection of art poetry and narratives created by women living with a history of addiction to explore women s understanding of harm reduction challenge the effects of stigma and give voice to those who have historically been silenced or devalued 273 In the project nurses with knowledge of mainstream systems aesthetic knowing feminism and substance use organized weekly gatherings wherein women with histories of substance use and addiction worked alongside a nurse to create artistic expressions Creations were presented at several venues including an International Conference on Drug Related Harm a Nursing Conference and a local gallery to positive community response 273 Narrative Approach and Addiction edit The narrative medicine to addiction focuses on recognizing absorbing and interpreting the stories of those suffering from addiction allowing for better understanding of their experiences 274 with narrative analysis being used to study the discourse of those with addiction This knowledge can be used to develop better care plans with the potential to increase patient compliance and make treatment more effective A narrative study demonstrated and studied cognitive and emotional tendencies among substance abusers during treatment periods to learn more about motivation and ambivalence inherent in recovery over the course of a residential treatment program 275 Seven narrative types emerged from the overall analysis optimistic overly optimistic pessimistic overly pessimistic tough life troubled confused and balanced Narratives tended to express a basic level of emotionality in early stages of treatment optimistic pessimistic narrative Over time as clients progressed through the program their stories became more complex and detailed including their drug abuse and recovery efforts more skeptical positions towards treatment began to emerge Clients began to distinguish between the positive and negative aspects of treatment creating more balanced narratives in the process 275 Due to higher medication consumption social isolation financial worries and other factors older adults are particularly vulnerable to substance use problems 276 Incidence of addiction among this population is inaccurately reported Narrative therapy can provide an avenue to unearth stories of addiction in an empowering manner and thus serves as a viable therapeutic tool in applied gerontology 276 When treating substance abuse in older adults it is essential to ensure that the client is respected and comfortable disclosing information This should be done at the outset of treatment when the therapist and older adult are developing the therapeutic relationship 277 The social breakdown model is an important tool that can consider the compounded effects of ageism physical changes social changes and substance abuse The narrative approach integrates the social breakdown model with substance abuse challenges and can be an effective way to address addiction in this population 277 A study conducted in 2009 in the Republic of Moldova looked into the social dynamics of initiating injection drug usage by examining 42 audio recorded semi structured interviews with present and former injectors 278 A thematic analysis suggested that self injection was viewed as a symbolic transition of identity enabled by interpersonal interactions and collective influences Personal narratives of self transition were connected to larger narratives of social transitions The personal narratives of self initiation and transition are contextualized and understood in terms of political social narratives within the core concept of the transitional society 278 Another study examined the narratives of initiators people who help people who inject drugs PWID with their first injection 279 Through their accounts respondents described initiation events as meaningful transitions to a life characterized by predictable downfalls of homelessness infections and social stigma Initiators used examples from their own personal experience to explain the process of initiation and assistance attributing personal agency and predicting specific injection related harms for initiates They distinguished between two forms of harm potentially avoidable proximal harm caused by risky injection practices e g overdose HIV and perceived inevitable distal harm caused by long term injection e g socioeconomic decline 279 In this way these narratives reflect a balance of individual agency harm reduction intentions and accepted notions of life after initiation interact with the narrative experiences and intentions of PWIDs 278 279 Philosophy edit From a philosophy perspective the behavior of many with addiction that is not explained by executive dysfunction or biological reasons can be explained by folk psychology specifically the belief desire model 26 According to this model a person acquires and uses a substance or does an addictive activity in belief that it will help them achieve a goal Social scientific models edit nbsp Acute confusional state caused by alcohol withdrawal otherwise known as delirium tremens Biopsychosocial cultural spiritual edit While regarded biomedically as a neuropsychological disorder addiction is multi layered with biological psychological social cultural and spiritual biopsychosocial cultural spiritual elements 280 281 A biopsychosocial cultural spiritual approach fosters the crossing of disciplinary boundaries and promotes holistic considerations of addiction 282 283 284 A biopsychosocial cultural spiritual approach considers for example how physical environments influence experiences habits and patterns of addiction Ethnographic engagements and developments in fields of knowledge have contributed to biopsychosocial cultural spiritual understandings of addiction including the work of Philippe Bourgois whose fieldwork with street level drug dealers in East Harlem highlights correlations between drug use and structural oppression in the United States 285 Prior models that have informed the prevailing biopsychosocial cultural spiritual consideration of addiction include Cultural model edit The cultural model an anthropological understanding of the emergence of drug use and abuse was developed by Dwight Heath 286 Heath undertook ethnographic research and fieldwork with the Camba people of Bolivia from June 1956 to August 1957 287 Heath observed that adult members of society drank large quantities of rum and became intoxicated for several contiguous days at least twice a month 286 This frequent heavy drinking from which intoxication followed was typically undertaken socially during festivals 287 Having returned in 1989 Heath observed that while much had changed drinking parties remained as per his initial observations and there appear to be no harmful consequences to anyone 288 Heath s observations and interactions reflected that this form of social behavior the habitual heavy consumption of alcohol was encouraged and valued enforcing social bonds in the Camba community 287 Despite frequent intoxication even to the point of unconsciousness the Camba held no concept of alcoholism a form of addiction and no visible social problems associated with drunkenness or addiction were apparent 286 As noted by Merrill Singer Heath s findings when considered alongside subsequent cross cultural experiences challenged the perception that intoxication is socially inherently disruptive 286 Following this fieldwork Heath proposed the cultural model suggesting that problems associated with heavy drinking such as alcoholism a recognised form addiction were cultural that is that alcoholism is determined by cultural beliefs and therefore varies among cultures Heath s findings challenged the notion that continued use of alcohol is inexorably addictive and damaging to the consumer s health 287 286 The cultural model did face criticism by Sociologist Robin Room and others who felt anthropologists could downgrade the severity of the problem 286 Merrill Singer found it notable that the ethnographers working within the prominence of the cultural model were part of the wet generation while not blind to the disruptive dysfunctional and debilitating effects of alcohol consumption they were products socialized to view alcohol consumption as normal 286 Subcultural model edit Historically addiction has been viewed from the etic perspective defining users through the pathology of their condition 289 As reports of drug use rapidly increased the cultural model found application in anthropological research exploring western drug subculture practices 286 The approach evolved from the ethnographic exploration into the lived experiences and subjectivities of 1960s and 1970s drug subcultures 286 The seminal publication Taking care of business by Edward Preble and John J Casey documented the daily lives of New York street based intravenous heroin users in rich detail providing unique insight into the dynamic social worlds and activities that surrounded their drug use 290 These findings challenge popular narratives of immorality and deviance conceptualizing substance abuse as a social phenomenon The prevailing culture can have a greater influence on drug taking behaviors than the physical and psychological effects of the drug itself 291 better source needed To marginalized individuals drug subcultures can provide social connection symbolic meaning and socially constructed purpose that they may feel is unattainable through conventional means 291 The subcultural model demonstrates the complexities of addiction highlighting the need for an integrated approach It contends that a biosocial approach is required to achieve a holistic understanding of addiction 286 Critical medical anthropology model edit Emerging in the early 1980s the critical medical anthropology model was introduced and as Merrill Singer offers was applied quickly to the analysis of drug use 286 Where the cultural model of the 1950s looked at the social body the critical medical anthropology model revealed the body politic considering drug use and addiction within the context of macro level structures including larger political systems economic inequalities and the institutional power held over social processes 286 Highly relevant to addiction the three issues emphasized in the model are Self medication The social production of suffering The political economy Licit and Illicit Drugs 286 These three key points highlight how drugs may come to be used to self medicate the psychological trauma of socio political disparity and injustice intertwining with licit and illicit drug market politics 286 Social suffering the misery among those on the weaker end of power relations in terms of physical health mental health and lived experience is used by anthropologists to analyze how individuals may have personal problems caused by political and economic power 286 From the perspective of critical medical anthropology heavy drug use and addiction is a consequence of such larger scale unequal distributions of power 286 The three models developed here the cultural model the subcultural model and the Critical Medical Anthropology Model display how addiction is not an experience to be considered only biomedically Through consideration of addiction alongside the biological psychological social cultural and spiritual biopsychosocial spiritual elements which influence its experience a holistic and comprehensive understanding can be built Social learning models editSocial learning theory edit Main article Social learning theory Albert Bandura s 1977 social learning theory posits that individuals acquire addictive behaviors by observing and imitating models in their social environment 292 293 The likelihood of engaging in and sustaining similar addictive behaviors is influenced by the reinforcement and punishment observed in others The principle of reciprocal determinism suggests that the functional relationships between personal environmental and behavioral factors act as determinants of addictive behavior 294 Thus effective treatment targets each dynamic facet of the biopsychosocial disorder Transtheoretical model stages of change model edit Main article Transtheoretical model The transtheoretical model of change suggests that overcoming an addiction is a stepwise process that occurs through several stages 295 Precontemplation This initial stage precedes individuals considering a change in their behavior They might be oblivious to or in denial of their addiction failing to recognize the need for change Contemplation is the stage in which individuals become aware of the problems caused by their addiction and are considering change Although they may not fully commit they weigh the costs and benefits of making a shift Preparation Individuals in this stage are getting ready to change They might have taken preliminary steps like gathering information or making small commitments in preparation for behavioral change Action involves actively modifying behavior by making specific observable changes to address the addictive behavior The action stage requires significant effort and commitment Maintenance After successfully implementing a change individuals enter the maintenance stage where they work to sustain the new behavior and prevent relapse This stage is characterized by ongoing effort and consolidation of gains Termination relapse prevention Recognizing that relapse is a common part of the change process this stage focuses on identifying and addressing factors that may lead to a return to old behaviors Relapse is viewed as an opportunity for learning and strategy adjustment with the ultimate goal of eliminating or terminating the targeted behavior The transtheoretical model can be helpful in guiding development of tailored behavioral interventions that can promote lasting change Progression through these stages may not always follow a linear path as individuals may move back and forth between stages Resistance to change is recognized as an expected part of the process Addiction causes an astoundingly high financial and human toll on individuals and society as a whole 296 230 233 In the United States the total economic cost to society is greater than that of all types of diabetes and all cancers combined 233 These costs arise from the direct adverse effects of drugs and associated healthcare costs e g emergency medical services and outpatient and inpatient care long term complications e g lung cancer from smoking tobacco products liver cirrhosis and dementia from chronic alcohol consumption and meth mouth from methamphetamine use the loss of productivity and associated welfare costs fatal and non fatal accidents e g traffic collisions suicides homicides and incarceration among others 296 230 233 297 The US National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that overdose deaths in the US have almost tripled among male and females from 2002 to 2017 with 72 306 overdose deaths reported in 2017 in the US 298 2020 marked the year with highest number of overdose deaths over a 12 month period with 81 000 overdose deaths exceeding the records set in 2017 299 See also editAutonomic nervous system Binge drinking Binge eating disorder Discrimination against drug addicts Dopaminergic pathways Pavlovian instrumental transfer Philosophy of medicine Substance dependenceEndnotes edit In other words a person cannot control the neurobiological processes that occur in the body in response to using an addictive drug A person can make a voluntary choice to for example start using a drug or not or to seek help after becoming addicted although resisting the urge to use drug s becomes increasingly difficult as addiction worsens See 1 for detailed discussion Notes edit According to a review of experimental animal models that examined the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of epigenetic marks that occur in addiction alterations in histone acetylation specifically di acetylation of lysine residues 9 and 14 on histone 3 i e H3K9ac2 and H3K14ac2 in association with BDNF gene promoters have been shown to occur within the medial prefrontal cortex mPFC testes and sperm of cocaine addicted male rats 88 These epigenetic alterations in the rat mPFC result in increased BDNF gene expression within the mPFC which in turn blunts the rewarding properties of cocaine and reduces cocaine self administration 88 The male but not female offspring of these cocaine exposed rats inherited both epigenetic marks i e di acetylation of lysine residues 9 and 14 on histone 3 within mPFC neurons the corresponding increase in BDNF expression within mPFC neurons and the behavioral phenotype associated with these effects i e a reduction in cocaine reward resulting in reduced cocaine seeking by these male offspring 88 Consequently the transmission of these two cocaine induced epigenetic alterations i e H3K9ac2 and H3K14ac2 in rats from male fathers to male offspring served to reduce the offspring s risk of developing an addiction to cocaine 88 As of 2018 update neither the heritability of these epigenetic marks in humans nor the behavioral effects of the marks within human mPFC neurons has been established 88 a b A decrease in aversion sensitivity in simpler terms means that an individual s behavior is less likely to be influenced by undesirable outcomes In other words c Fos repression allows DFosB to more rapidly accumulate within the D1 type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens because it is selectively induced in this state 2 Before c Fos repression all Fos family proteins e g c Fos Fra1 Fra2 FosB and DFosB are induced together with DFosB expression increasing to a lesser extent 2 According to two medical reviews DFosB has been implicated in causing both increases and decreases in dynorphin expression in different studies 119 149 this table entry reflects only a decrease Incentive salience the motivational salience for a reward is a desire or want attribute which includes a motivational component that the brain assigns to a rewarding stimulus 150 151 As a consequence incentive salience acts as a motivational magnet for a rewarding stimulus that commands attention induces approach and causes the rewarding stimulus to be sought out 150 In simplest terms this means that when either amphetamine or sex is perceived as more alluring or desirable through reward sensitization this effect occurs with the other as well Inhibitors of class I histone deacetylase HDAC enzymes are drugs that inhibit four specific histone modifying enzymes HDAC1 HDAC2 HDAC3 and HDAC8 Most of the animal research with HDAC inhibitors has been conducted with four drugs butyrate salts mainly sodium butyrate trichostatin A valproic acid and SAHA 216 154 butyric acid is a naturally occurring short chain fatty acid in humans while the latter two compounds are FDA approved drugs with medical indications unrelated to addiction Specifically prolonged administration of a class I HDAC inhibitor appears to reduce an animal s motivation to acquire and use an addictive drug without affecting an animals motivation to attain other rewards i e it does not appear to cause motivational anhedonia and reduce the amount of the drug that is self administered when it is readily available 132 154 217 Among the few clinical trials that employed a class I HDAC inhibitor one used valproate for methamphetamine addiction 219 The lifetime prevalence of an addiction is the percentage of individuals in a population that developed an addiction at some point in their life Image legend Ion channel G proteins amp linked receptors Text color Transcription factorsReferences edit a b Heilig M MacKillop J Martinez D Rehm J Leggio L Vanderschuren LJ September 2021 Addiction as a brain disease revised why it still matters and the need for consilience Neuropsychopharmacology 46 10 1715 1723 doi 10 1038 s41386 020 00950 y PMC 8357831 PMID 33619327 pre existing vulnerabilities and persistent drug use lead to a vicious circle of substantive disruptions in the brain that impair and undermine choice capacities for adaptive behavior but do not annihilate them a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Nestler EJ December 2013 Cellular basis of memory for addiction Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 15 4 431 443 PMC 3898681 PMID 24459410 Despite the importance of numerous psychosocial factors at its core drug addiction involves a biological process the ability of repeated exposure to a drug of abuse to induce changes in a vulnerable brain that drive the compulsive seeking and taking of drugs and loss of control over drug use that define a state of addiction A large body of literature has demonstrated that such DFosB induction in D1 type nucleus accumbens neurons increases an animal s sensitivity to drug as well as natural rewards and promotes drug self administration presumably through a process of positive reinforcement Another DFosB target is cFos as DFosB accumulates with repeated drug exposure it represses c Fos and contributes to the molecular switch whereby DFosB is selectively induced in the chronic drug treated state 41 Moreover there is increasing evidence that despite a range of genetic risks for addiction across the population exposure to sufficiently high doses of a drug for long periods of time can transform someone who has relatively lower genetic loading into an addict a b c Drugs Brains and Behavior The Science of Addiction Drug Misuse and Addiction www drugabuse gov North Bethesda Maryland National Institute on Drug Abuse 13 July 2020 Retrieved 23 December 2021 Henden E 2017 Addiction Compulsion and Weakness of the Will A Dual Process Perspective In Heather N Gabriel S eds Addiction and Choice Rethinking the Relationship Oxford UK Oxford University Press pp 116 132 Angres DH Bettinardi Angres K October 2008 The disease of addiction origins treatment and recovery Disease a Month 54 10 696 721 doi 10 1016 j disamonth 2008 07 002 PMID 18790142 a b Malenka RC Nestler EJ Hyman SE 2009 Chapter 15 Reinforcement and Addictive Disorders In Sydor A Brown RY eds Molecular Neuropharmacology A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience second ed New York McGraw Hill Medical pp 364 65 375 ISBN 978 0 07 148127 4 The defining feature of addiction is compulsive out of control drug use despite negative consequences compulsive eating shopping gambling and sex so called natural addictions Indeed addiction to both drugs and behavioral rewards may arise from similar dysregulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system Marlatt GA Baer JS Donovan DM Kivlahan DR 1988 Addictive behaviors etiology and treatment Annu Rev Psychol 39 223 52 doi 10 1146 annurev ps 39 020188 001255 PMID 3278676 ME 12 September 2019 Gaming Addiction in ICD 11 Issues and Implications Psychiatric Times Psychiatric Times Vol 36 Issue 9 36 9 Archived from the original on 3 March 2020 Retrieved 3 March 2020 a b Steverson 2020 Addiction reimagined challenging views of an enduring social problem Vernon Press p 206 ISBN 978 1 62273 953 0 Gowing L Ali R Allsop S Marsden J Turf E West E et al 2015 Global statistics on addictive behaviours 2014 status report PDF Addiction 110 6 904 919 doi 10 1111 add 12899 PMID 25963869 Gilley 2018 The new science of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder news from the cutting edge of research science Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders 2 3 doi 10 26502 jppd 2572 519X0043 inactive 31 January 2024 S2CID 150196703 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint DOI inactive as of January 2024 link Lee C Ko A Yang F 2018 Association of DSM 5 betel quid use disorder with oral potentially malignant disorder in 6 betel quid endemic Asian populations JAMA Psychiatry 75 3 261 269 doi 10 1001 jamapsychiatry 2017 4307 PMC 5885949 PMID 29417149 a b Sahithya B Kashyap R 2020 Sexual Addiction Disorder a review with recent updates Journal of Psychosexual Health 4 2 95 101 doi 10 1177 26318318221081080 S2CID 248835855 a b c International Classification of Diseases 11th revision ICD 11 Disorders due to substance use or addictive behaviours World Health Organization Geneva 2023 Retrieved 10 April 2023 Destoop M Morrens M Coppens V Dom G 2019 Addiction anhedonia and comorbid mood disorder A narrative review Frontiers in Psychiatry 10 311 doi 10 3389 fpsyt 2019 00311 PMC 6538808 PMID 31178763 Volkow N Koob G McLellan T 2016 Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction The New England Journal of Medicine 374 4 363 371 doi 10 1056 NEJMra1511480 PMC 6135257 PMID 26816013 Koob G Buck G Cohen A Edwards S Park P Schlosburg J et al 2014 Addiction as a stress surfeit disorder Neuropharmacology 76 370 382 doi 10 1016 j neuropharm 2013 05 024 PMC 3830720 PMID 23747571 a b Facing Addiction in America The Surgeon General s Report on Alcohol Drugs and Health PDF Office of the Surgeon General US Department of Health and Human Services November 2016 pp 35 37 45 63 155 317 338 Retrieved 28 January 2017 Ko C Yen J Yen C Chen C ChenC 2020 The association between Internet addiction and psychiatric disorder A review of the literature European Psychiatry 27 1 1 8 doi 10 1016 j eurpsy 2010 04 011 PMID 22153731 S2CID 3558840 a b American Psychiatric Association 2013 Substance Related and Addictive Disorders PDF American Psychiatric Publishing pp 1 2 Archived from the original PDF on 15 August 2015 Retrieved 8 April 2023 Additionally the diagnosis of dependence caused much confusion Most people link dependence with addiction when in fact dependence can be a normal body response to a substance Malenka R Nestler E Hyman S Holtzman D 2015 Chapter 16 Reinforcement and Addictive Disorders Molecular Neuropharmacology A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience 3rd ed New York McGraw Hill Medical ISBN 978 0 07 182770 6 World Health Organization 2023 International Classification of Diseases eleventh revision ICD 11 Geneva icd who int Malenka RC Nestler EJ Hyman SE 2009 Chapter 15 Reinforcement and Addictive Disorders In Sydor A Brown RY eds Molecular Neuropharmacology A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience 2nd ed New York McGraw Hill Medical pp 364 375 ISBN 978 0 07 148127 4 a b Volkow ND Koob GF McLellan AT January 2016 Neurobiologic Advances from the Brain Disease Model of Addiction New England Journal of Medicine 374 4 363 371 doi 10 1056 NEJMra1511480 PMC 6135257 PMID 26816013 Substance use disorder A diagnostic term in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM 5 referring to recurrent use of alcohol or other drugs that causes clinically and functionally significant impairment such as health problems disability and failure to meet major responsibilities at work school or home Depending on the level of severity this disorder is classified as mild moderate or severe Addiction A term used to indicate the most severe chronic stage of substance use disorder in which there is a substantial loss of self control as indicated by compulsive drug taking despite the desire to stop taking the drug In the DSM 5 the term addiction is synonymous with the classification of severe substance use disorder a b c d NIDA 13 July 2020 Drug Misuse and Addiction National Institute of Drug Abuse U S Department of Health and Human Services Retrieved 15 November 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k Levy N 2019 Chapter 5 Addiction The belief oscillation hypothesis In Pickard H Ahmed SH eds The Routledge handbook of philosophy and science of addiction Wellcome Trust Funded Monographs and Book Chapters Oxon UK Routledge doi 10 4324 9781315689197 6 ISBN 978 1 138 90928 1 OCLC 1042341025 PMID 31017751 S2CID 242067468 Food addiction Symptoms and management www medicalnewstoday com 17 February 2020 Retrieved 15 November 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Skylstad V Babirye JN Kiguli J Solheim Skar AM et al March 2022 Are we overlooking alcohol use by younger children BMJ Paediatrics Open 6 1 e001242 doi 10 1136 bmjpo 2021 001242 PMC 8905875 PMID 36053657 Drug addiction substance use disorder Symptoms and causes Mayo Clinic Retrieved 15 November 2022 Drummond DC 3 May 2002 Theories of drug craving ancient and modern Addiction 96 1 33 46 doi 10 1046 j 1360 0443 2001 961333 x PMID 11177518 a b c d e f g h i j Maxwell AL Gardiner E Loxton NJ 9 February 2020 Investigating the relationship between reward sensitivity impulsivity and food addiction A systematic review European Eating Disorders Review 28 4 368 384 doi 10 1002 erv 2732 ISSN 1099 0968 PMID 32142199 S2CID 212565361 Retrieved 9 March 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o di Giacomo E Aliberti F Pescatore F Santorelli M Pessina R Placenti V et al August 2022 Disentangling binge eating disorder and food addiction a systematic review and meta analysis Eating and Weight Disorders 27 6 1963 1970 doi 10 1007 s40519 021 01354 7 PMC 9287203 PMID 35041154 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Olsen CM December 2011 Natural rewards neuroplasticity and non drug addictions Neuropharmacology 61 7 1109 22 doi 10 1016 j neuropharm 2011 03 010 PMC 3139704 PMID 21459101 Functional neuroimaging studies in humans have shown that gambling Breiter et al 2001 shopping Knutson et al 2007 orgasm Komisaruk et al 2004 playing video games Koepp et al 1998 Hoeft et al 2008 and the sight of appetizing food Wang et al 2004a activate many of the same brain regions i e the mesocorticolimbic system and extended amygdala as drugs of abuse Volkow et al 2004 Cross sensitization is also bidirectional as a history of amphetamine administration facilitates sexual behavior and enhances the associated increase in NAc DA As described for food reward sexual experience can also lead to activation of plasticity related signaling cascades The transcription factor delta FosB is increased in the NAc PFC dorsal striatum and VTA following repeated sexual behavior Wallace et al 2008 Pitchers et al 2010b This natural increase in delta FosB or viral overexpression of delta FosB within the NAc modulates sexual performance and NAc blockade of delta FosB attenuates this behavior Hedges et al 2009 Pitchers et al 2010b Further viral overexpression of delta FosB enhances the conditioned place preference for an environment paired with sexual experience Hedges et al 2009 In some people there is a transition from normal to compulsive engagement in natural rewards such as food or sex a condition that some have termed behavioral or non drug addictions Holden 2001 Grant et al 2006a In humans the role of dopamine signaling in incentive sensitization processes has recently been highlighted by the observation of a dopamine dysregulation syndrome in some people taking dopaminergic drugs This syndrome is characterized by a medication induced increase in or compulsive engagement in non drug rewards such as gambling shopping or sex Evans et al 2006 Aiken 2007 Lader 2008 Table 1 Summary of plasticity observed following exposure to drug or natural reinforcers a b c d e f g h i j k l m Robison AJ Nestler EJ November 2011 Transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of addiction Nat Rev Neurosci 12 11 623 37 doi 10 1038 nrn3111 PMC 3272277 PMID 21989194 DFosB has been linked directly to several addiction related behaviors Importantly genetic or viral overexpression of DJunD a dominant negative mutant of JunD which antagonizes DFosB and other AP 1 mediated transcriptional activity in the NAc or OFC blocks these key effects of drug exposure14 22 24 This indicates that DFosB is both necessary and sufficient for many of the changes wrought in the brain by chronic drug exposure DFosB is induced in D1 type NAc MSNs by chronic consumption of several natural rewards including sucrose high fat food sex wheel running where it promotes that consumption14 26 30 This implicates DFosB in the regulation of natural rewards under normal conditions and perhaps during pathological addictive like states a b c d Goodman B 3 September 2022 Casarella J ed Food Addiction Signs and Treatments WebMD Retrieved 9 March 2023 Nehlig A 2004 Coffee tea chocolate and the brain Boca Raton CRC Press pp 203 218 ISBN 978 0 429 21192 8 Yale Food Addiction Scale Food and Addiction Science amp Treatment Lab Department of Psychology University of Michigan Retrieved 1 November 2022 Gearhardt AN Corbin WR Brownell KD February 2016 Development of the Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2 0 Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 30 1 113 121 doi 10 1037 adb0000136 PMID 26866783 Brunault P Berthoz S Gearhardt AN Gierski F Kaladjian A Bertin E et al 8 September 2020 The Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2 0 Validation Among Non Clinical and Clinical French Speaking Samples and Comparison With the Full Yale Food Addiction Scale 2 0 Frontiers in Psychiatry 11 480671 doi 10 3389 fpsyt 2020 480671 PMC 7509420 PMID 33033480 Hauck C Cook B Ellrott T February 2020 Food addiction eating addiction and eating disorders The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 79 1 103 112 doi 10 1017 S0029665119001162 PMID 31744566 S2CID 208186539 a b c d Karila L Wery A Weinstein A Cottencin O Petit A Reynaud M et al 2014 Sexual addiction or hypersexual disorder different terms for the same problem A review of the literature Curr Pharm Des 20 25 4012 20 doi 10 2174 13816128113199990619 PMID 24001295 S2CID 19042860 Sexual addiction which is also known as hypersexual disorder has largely been ignored by psychiatrists even though the condition causes serious psychosocial problems for many people A lack of empirical evidence on sexual addiction is the result of the disease s complete absence from versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Existing prevalence rates of sexual addiction related disorders range from 3 to 6 Sexual addiction hypersexual disorder is used as an umbrella construct to encompass various types of problematic behaviors including excessive masturbation cybersex pornography use sexual behavior with consenting adults telephone sex strip club visitation and other behaviors The adverse consequences of sexual addiction are similar to the consequences of other addictive disorders Addictive somatic and psychiatric disorders coexist with sexual addiction In recent years research on sexual addiction has proliferated and screening instruments have increasingly been developed to diagnose or quantify sexual addiction disorders In our systematic review of the existing measures 22 questionnaires were identified As with other behavioral addictions the appropriate treatment of sexual addiction should combine pharmacological and psychological approaches a b c d e Pitchers KK Vialou V Nestler EJ Laviolette SR Lehman MN Coolen LM February 2013 Natural and drug rewards act on common neural plasticity mechanisms with DFosB as a key mediator The Journal of Neuroscience 33 8 3434 42 doi 10 1523 JNEUROSCI 4881 12 2013 PMC 3865508 PMID 23426671 Drugs of abuse induce neuroplasticity in the natural reward pathway specifically the nucleus accumbens NAc thereby causing development and expression of addictive behavior Together these findings demonstrate that drugs of abuse and natural reward behaviors act on common molecular and cellular mechanisms of plasticity that control vulnerability to drug addiction and that this increased vulnerability is mediated by DFosB and its downstream transcriptional targets Sexual behavior is highly rewarding Tenk et al 2009 and sexual experience causes sensitized drug related behaviors including cross sensitization to amphetamine Amph induced locomotor activity Bradley and Meisel 2001 Pitchers et al 2010a and enhanced Amph reward Pitchers et al 2010a Moreover sexual experience induces neural plasticity in the NAc similar to that induced by psychostimulant exposure including increased dendritic spine density Meisel and Mullins 2006 Pitchers et al 2010a altered glutamate receptor trafficking and decreased synaptic strength in prefrontal cortex responding NAc shell neurons Pitchers et al 2012 Finally periods of abstinence from sexual experience were found to be critical for enhanced Amph reward NAc spinogenesis Pitchers et al 2010a and glutamate receptor trafficking Pitchers et al 2012 These findings suggest that natural and drug reward experiences share common mechanisms of neural plasticity a b c d e Beloate LN Weems PW Casey GR Webb IC Coolen LM February 2016 Nucleus accumbens NMDA receptor activation regulates amphetamine cross sensitization and deltaFosB expression following sexual experience in male rats Neuropharmacology 101 154 64 doi 10 1016 j neuropharm 2015 09 023 PMID 26391065 S2CID 25317397 a b Alavi SS Ferdosi M Jannatifard F Eslami M Alaghemandan H Setare M April 2012 Behavioral Addiction versus Substance Addiction Correspondence of Psychiatric and Psychological Views International Journal of Preventive Medicine 3 4 290 294 PMC 3354400 PMID 22624087 a b c Grant JE Potenza MN Weinstein A Gorelick DA September 2010 Introduction to behavioral addictions Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 36 5 233 241 doi 10 3109 00952990 2010 491884 PMC 3164585 PMID 20560821 Naltrexone a mu opioid receptor antagonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcoholism and opioid dependence has shown efficacy in controlled clinical trials for the treatment of pathological gambling and kleptomania 76 79 and promise in uncontrolled studies of compulsive buying 80 compulsive sexual behavior 81 internet addiction 82 and pathologic skin picking 83 Topiramate an anti convulsant which blocks the AMPA subtype of glutamate receptor among other actions has shown promise in open label studies of pathological gambling compulsive buying and compulsive skin picking 85 as well as efficacy in reducing alcohol 86 cigarette 87 and cocaine 88 use N acetyl cysteine an amino acid that restores extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens reduced gambling urges and behavior in one study of pathological gamblers 89 and reduces cocaine craving 90 and cocaine use 91 in cocaine addicts These studies suggest that glutamatergic modulation of dopaminergic tone in the nucleus accumbens may be a mechanism common to behavioral addiction and substance use disorders 92 a b Derbyshire KL Grant JE June 2015 Compulsive sexual behavior a review of the literature Journal of Behavioral Addictions 4 2 37 43 doi 10 1556 2006 4 2015 003 PMC 4500883 PMID 26014671 American Psychiatric Association American Psychiatric Association DSM 5 Task Force 2013 Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders DSM 5 5th ed Arlington VA American Psychiatric Association p 481 ISBN 978 0 89042 554 1 OCLC 830807378 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link a b c d Yau YH Potenza MN 2015 Gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions recognition and treatment Harvard Review of Psychiatry 23 2 134 146 doi 10 1097 HRP 0000000000000051 PMC 4458066 PMID 25747926 Ford M Hakansson A 10 January 2020 Problem gambling associations with comorbid health conditions substance use and behavioural addictions Opportunities for pathways to treatment PLOS ONE 15 1 e0227644 Bibcode 2020PLoSO 1527644F doi 10 1371 journal pone 0227644 PMC 6953879 PMID 31923269 a b c Menchon JM Mestre Bach G Steward T Fernandez Aranda F Jimenez Murcia S 9 April 2018 An overview of gambling disorder from treatment approaches to risk factors F1000Research 7 434 doi 10 12688 f1000research 12784 1 PMC 5893944 PMID 30090625 a b Chou C Condron L Belland JC 2005 A Review of the Research on Internet Addiction Educational Psychology Review 17 4 363 388 doi 10 1007 s10648 005 8138 1 ISSN 1040 726X S2CID 7014879 Musetti A Cattivelli R Giacobbi M Zuglian P Ceccarini M Capelli F et al 2016 Challenges in Internet Addiction Disorder Is a Diagnosis Feasible or Not Frontiers in Psychology 7 842 doi 10 3389 fpsyg 2016 00842 PMC 4894006 PMID 27375523 Bipeta R Yerramilli SS Karredla AR Gopinath S 2015 Diagnostic Stability of Internet Addiction in Obsessive compulsive Disorder Data from a Naturalistic One year Treatment Study Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience 12 3 4 14 23 PMC 4420165 PMID 26000201 Cash H Rae CD Steel AH Winkler A November 2012 Internet Addiction A Brief Summary of Research and Practice Current Psychiatry Reviews 8 4 292 298 doi 10 2174 157340012803520513 PMC 3480687 PMID 23125561 Block JJ March 2008 Issues for DSM V internet addiction The American Journal of Psychiatry 165 3 306 307 doi 10 1176 appi ajp 2007 07101556 PMID 18316427 Tang J Yu Y Du Y Ma Y Zhang D Wang J March 2014 Prevalence of internet addiction and its association with stressful life events and psychological symptoms among adolescent internet users Addictive Behaviors 39 3 744 747 doi 10 1016 j addbeh 2013 12 010 hdl 2436 622804 PMID 24388433 a b c Joseph J Varghese A Vr V Dhandapani M Grover S Sharma S et al August 2021 Prevalence of internet addiction among college students in the Indian setting a systematic review and meta analysis General Psychiatry 34 4 e100496 doi 10 1136 gpsych 2021 100496 PMC 8381302 PMID 34504996 a b Weinstein A Lejoyeux M September 2010 Internet addiction or excessive internet use The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 36 5 277 283 doi 10 3109 00952990 2010 491880 PMID 20545603 S2CID 17713327 Addictive behaviours Gaming disorder www who int Retrieved 25 October 2022 International Classification of Diseases 11th revision ICD 11 icd who int Geneva Retrieved 25 October 2022 a b c Wittek CT Finseras TR Pallesen S Mentzoni RA Hanss D Griffiths MD et al 2016 Prevalence and Predictors of Video Game Addiction A Study Based on a National Representative Sample of Gamers International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 14 5 672 686 doi 10 1007 s11469 015 9592 8 PMC 5023737 PMID 27688739 Peters CS Malesky LA August 2008 Problematic usage among highly engaged players of massively multiplayer online role playing games Cyberpsychology amp Behavior 11 4 481 484 doi 10 1089 cpb 2007 0140 PMID 18721098 Hyun GJ Han DH Lee YS Kang KD Yoo SK Chung US et al 1 July 2015 Risk factors associated with online game addiction A hierarchical model Computers in Human Behavior 48 706 713 doi 10 1016 j chb 2015 02 008 ISSN 0747 5632 a b Hague B Hall J Kellett S September 2016 Treatments for compulsive buying A systematic review of the quality effectiveness and progression of the outcome evidence Journal of Behavioral Addictions 5 3 379 394 doi 10 1556 2006 5 2016 064 PMC 5264404 PMID 27640529 a b Black DW February 2007 A review of compulsive buying disorder World Psychiatry 6 1 14 18 PMC 1805733 PMID 17342214 Drug addiction substance use disorder Symptoms and causes Mayo Clinic Retrieved 21 November 2022 a b c Mental Health and Substance Use Co Occurring Disorders MentalHealth gov Retrieved 29 November 2022 Koob GF Powell P White A November 2020 Addiction as a Coping Response Hyperkatifeia Deaths of Despair and COVID 19 Am J Psychiatry 177 11 1031 1037 doi 10 1176 appi ajp 2020 20091375 PMID 33135468 S2CID 226233515 a b c d Kwako LE Momenan R Litten RZ Koob GF Goldman D August 2016 Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment A Neuroscience Based Framework for Addictive Disorders Biological Psychiatry 80 3 179 189 doi 10 1016 j biopsych 2015 10 024 PMC 4870153 PMID 26772405 a b Tobacco Alcohol Prescription medication and other Substance use TAPS Tool nida nih gov Retrieved 29 November 2022 About the CRAFFT CRAFFT Retrieved 3 December 2022 a b c Use the CRAFFT CRAFFT Retrieved 3 December 2022 a b c Yudko E Lozhkina O Fouts A March 2007 A comprehensive review of the psychometric properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 32 2 189 198 doi 10 1016 j jsat 2006 08 002 PMID 17306727 Han BH Moore AA February 2018 Prevention and Screening of Unhealthy Substance Use by Older Adults Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 34 1 117 129 doi 10 1016 j cger 2017 08 005 PMC 5718360 PMID 29129212 Ali R Meena S Eastwood B Richards I Marsden J September 2013 Ultra rapid screening for substance use disorders the Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test ASSIST Lite Drug and Alcohol Dependence 132 1 2 352 361 doi 10 1016 j drugalcdep 2013 03 001 PMID 23561823 Fehrman E Egan V Gorban AN Levesley J Mirkes EM Muhammad AK 2019 Personality Traits and Drug Consumption A Story Told by Data Springer Cham arXiv 2001 06520 doi 10 1007 978 3 030 10442 9 ISBN 978 3 030 10441 2 S2CID 151160405 Cheetham A Allen NB Yucel M Lubman DI August 2010 The role of affective dysregulation in drug addiction Clin Psychol Rev 30 6 621 34 doi 10 1016 j cpr 2010 04 005 PMID 20546986 Franken IH Muris P 2006 BIS BAS personality characteristics and college students substance use Personality and Individual Differences 40 7 1497 503 doi 10 1016 j paid 2005 12 005 Genovese JE Wallace D December 2007 Reward sensitivity and substance abuse in middle school and high school students J Genet Psychol 168 4 465 69 doi 10 3200 GNTP 168 4 465 469 PMID 18232522 S2CID 207640075 Kimbrel NA Nelson Gray RO Mitchell JT April 2007 Reinforcement sensitivity and maternal style as predictors of psychopathology Personality and Individual Differences 42 6 1139 49 doi 10 1016 j paid 2006 06 028 Dawe S Loxton NJ May 2004 The role of impulsivity in the development of substance use and eating disorders Neurosci Biobehav Rev 28 3 343 51 doi 10 1016 j neubiorev 2004 03 007 PMID 15225976 S2CID 24435589 a b c d e f g h i j Hill R Harris J 2 November 2021 Psychological Approaches to Addiction In Day E ed Seminars in addiction psychiatry 2nd ed Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 147 169 doi 10 1017 9781911623199 009 ISBN 978 1 911623 19 9 S2CID 242036830 Washburn DA 2016 The Stroop effect at 80 The competition between stimulus control and cognitive control J Exp Anal Behav 105 1 3 13 doi 10 1002 jeab 194 PMID 26781048 Today arguably more than at any time in history the constructs of attention executive functioning and cognitive control seem to be pervasive and preeminent in research and theory Even within the cognitive framework however there has long been an understanding that behavior is multiply determined and that many responses are relatively automatic unattended contention scheduled and habitual Indeed the cognitive flexibility response inhibition and self regulation that appear to be hallmarks of cognitive control are noteworthy only in contrast to responses that are relatively rigid associative and involuntary Diamond A 2013 Executive functions Annu Rev Psychol 64 135 68 doi 10 1146 annurev psych 113011 143750 PMC 4084861 PMID 23020641 Core EFs are inhibition response inhibition self control resisting temptations and resisting acting impulsively and interference control selective attention and cognitive inhibition working memory and cognitive flexibility including creatively thinking outside the box seeing anything from different perspectives and quickly and flexibly adapting to changed circumstances EFs and prefrontal cortex are the first to suffer and suffer disproportionately if something is not right in your life They suffer first and most if you are stressed Arnsten 1998 Liston et al 2009 Oaten amp Cheng 2005 sad Hirt et al 2008 von Hecker amp Meiser 2005 lonely Baumeister et al 2002 Cacioppo amp Patrick 2008 Campbell et al 2006 Tun et al 2012 sleep deprived Barnes et al 2012 Huang et al 2007 or not physically fit Best 2010 Chaddock et al 2011 Hillman et al 2008 Any of these can cause you to appear to have a disorder of EFs such as ADHD when you do not You can see the deleterious effects of stress sadness loneliness and lack of physical health or fitness at the physiological and neuroanatomical level in prefrontal cortex and at the behavioral level in worse EFs poorer reasoning and problem solving forgetting things and impaired ability to exercise discipline and self control EFs can be improved Diamond amp Lee 2011 Klingberg 2010 At any age across the life cycle EFs can be improved including in the elderly and in infants There has been much work with excellent results on improving EFs in the elderly by improving physical fitness Erickson amp Kramer 2009 Voss et al 2011 Inhibitory control one of the core EFs involves being able to control one s attention behavior thoughts and or emotions to override a strong internal predisposition or external lure and instead do what s more appropriate or needed Without inhibitory control we would be at the mercy of impulses old habits of thought or action conditioned responses and or stimuli in the environment that pull us this way or that Thus inhibitory control makes it possible for us to change and for us to choose how we react and how we behave rather than being unthinking creatures of habit It doesn t make it easy Indeed we usually are creatures of habit and our behavior is under the control of environmental stimuli far more than we usually realize but having the ability to exercise inhibitory control creates the possibility of change and choice The subthalamic nucleus appears to play a critical role in preventing such impulsive or premature responding Frank 2006 a b Malenka RC Nestler EJ Hyman SE 2009 Chapter 13 Higher Cognitive Function and Behavioral Control In Sydor A Brown RY eds Molecular Neuropharmacology A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience 2nd ed New York McGraw Hill Medical pp 313 21 ISBN 978 0 07 148127 4 Executive function the cognitive control of behavior depends on the prefrontal cortex which is highly developed in higher primates and especially humans Working memory is a short term capacity limited cognitive buffer that stores information and permits its manipulation to guide decision making and behavior These diverse inputs and back projections to both cortical and subcortical structures put the prefrontal cortex in a position to exert what is called top down control or cognitive control of behavior The prefrontal cortex receives inputs not only from other cortical regions including association cortex but also via the thalamus inputs from subcortical structures subserving emotion and motivation such as the amygdala Chapter 14 and ventral striatum or nucleus accumbens Chapter 15 In conditions in which prepotent responses tend to dominate behavior such as in drug addiction where drug cues can elicit drug seeking Chapter 15 or in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD described below significant negative consequences can result ADHD can be conceptualized as a disorder of executive function specifically ADHD is characterized by reduced ability to exert and maintain cognitive control of behavior Compared with healthy individuals those with ADHD have diminished ability to suppress inappropriate prepotent responses to stimuli impaired response inhibition and diminished ability to inhibit responses to irrelevant stimuli impaired interference suppression Functional neuroimaging in humans demonstrates activation of the prefrontal cortex and caudate nucleus part of the striatum in tasks that demand inhibitory control of behavior Subjects with ADHD exhibit less activation of the medial prefrontal cortex than healthy controls even when they succeed in such tasks and utilize different circuits Early results with structural MRI show thinning of the cerebral cortex in ADHD subjects compared with age matched controls in prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex areas involved in working memory and attention a b c d e f Gould TJ December 2010 Addiction and cognition Addiction Science amp Clinical Practice 5 2 4 14 PMC 3120118 PMID 22002448 Feltenstein MW See RE May 2008 The neurocircuitry of addiction an overview British Journal of Pharmacology 154 2 261 274 doi 10 1038 bjp 2008 51 PMC 2442446 PMID 18311189 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Vassoler FM Sadri Vakili G 2014 Mechanisms of transgenerational inheritance of addictive like behaviors Neuroscience 264 198 206 doi 10 1016 j neuroscience 2013 07 064 PMC 3872494 PMID 23920159 However the components that are responsible for the heritability of characteristics that make an individual more susceptible to drug addiction in humans remain largely unknown given that patterns of inheritance cannot be explained by simple genetic mechanisms Cloninger et al 1981 Schuckit et al 1972 The environment plays a large role in the development of addiction as evidenced by great societal variability in drug use patterns between countries and across time UNODC 2012 Therefore both genetics and the environment contribute to an individual s vulnerability to become addicted following an 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doi 10 2217 pgs 12 94 PMC 3463407 PMID 22909205 a b c Yuan TF Li A Sun X Ouyang H Campos C Rocha NB et al 2015 Transgenerational Inheritance of Paternal Neurobehavioral Phenotypes Stress Addiction Ageing and Metabolism Mol Neurobiol 53 9 6367 76 doi 10 1007 s12035 015 9526 2 hdl 10400 22 7331 PMID 26572641 S2CID 25694221 a b c d e f g h i j Ruffle JK November 2014 Molecular neurobiology of addiction what s all the D FosB about Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 40 6 428 37 doi 10 3109 00952990 2014 933840 PMID 25083822 S2CID 19157711 DFosB is an essential transcription factor implicated in the molecular and behavioral pathways of addiction following repeated drug exposure The formation of DFosB in multiple brain regions and the molecular pathway leading to the formation of AP 1 complexes is well understood The establishment of a functional purpose for DFosB has allowed further determination as to some of the key aspects of its molecular cascades As a consequence of our improved understanding of DFosB in addiction it is possible to evaluate the addictive potential of current medications 119 as well as use it as a biomarker for assessing the efficacy of therapeutic interventions 121 122 124 Some of these proposed interventions have limitations 125 or are in their infancy 75 However it is hoped that some of these preliminary findings may lead to innovative treatments which are much needed in addiction a b c d e f Bilinski P Wojtyla A Kapka Skrzypczak L Chwedorowicz R Cyranka M Studzinski T 2012 Epigenetic regulation in drug addiction Ann Agric Environ Med 19 3 491 96 PMID 23020045 DFosB is considered a primary and causative transcription factor in creating new neural connections in the reward centre prefrontal cortex and other regions of the limbic system This is reflected in the increased stable and long lasting level of sensitivity to cocaine and other drugs and tendency to relapse even after long periods of abstinence a b c link, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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