What is addiction?
- Addiction is a chronic brain disease;1 it changes how the brain works.
- It involves changes to brain circuits involved in motivation, reinforcement of behaviors necessary for survival, stress, and impulse control. In addition to harming a person’s health, it can change how they think, feel, and behave.
- These changes may last a long time, lead to other harmful actions, and create difficulties in relationships with family and friends.
- Addiction is about both the brain and behaviors. Counseling and group therapy focus on behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. Medications are also necessary for many people with opioid use disorder to stabilize brain function, enabling them to work toward getting and staying well.
