Is Drug Addiction a Brain Disease?

Question by Robert: is drug addiction a brain disease?

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Answer by Ian
Recent studies have increased our knowledge of how drugs affect gene expression and brain circuitry, and how these factors affect human behavior. “Drug addiction is a brain disease,” says Dr. Volkow. “Although initial drug use might be voluntary, once addiction develops this control is markedly disrupted. Imaging studies have shown specific abnormalities in the brains of some, but not all, addicted individuals. While scientific advancements in the understanding of addiction have occurred at unprecedented speed in recent years, unanswered questions remain that highlight the need for further research to better define the neurobiological processes involved in addiction.”

Does Calling Heroin Addiction A Brain Disease Help Avoid Tragedies Like Philip …
An addict who believes complete abstinence from heroin is the only acceptable option because he is physiologically incapable of exercising control over his drug consumption may be ill-prepared for a relapse. Having adopted an all-or-nothing view, he …
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Is The Brain On Drugs, Or Are Drugs On The Brain?
One thing that is found with both alcohol and drug users is that one brain reacts the differently to the same chemicals. Elizabeth "Liza" Dyrdahl is a licensed clinical professional counselor. She was licensed in March 1999 and has been working in …
Read more on Glasgow Courier

LETTER: Truth about drugs the right approach
More than three decades of research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) prove that addiction is a complex brain disease. Most addiction research agrees that the cause of addiction occurs in the midbrain and involves the dysfunction …
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