Is addiction is a brain disease?

Scientific advances over the past 20 years have shown that drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease that results from the prolonged effects of drugs on the brain. As with many other brain diseases, addiction has embedded behavioral and social-context aspects that are important parts of the disorder itself.

How long has addiction been considered a disease?

being a disease first surfaced early in the 19th century. In 1956, the American Medical Association (AMA) de- clared alcoholism an illness, and in 1987, the AMA and other medical organizations officially termed addiction a disease (Lesh- ner, 1997).

What is the difference between an addiction and a disease?

A disease is a condition that changes the way an organ functions. Chronic disease can be treated and managed, but it can’t be cured. Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain the way diabetes is a chronic disease of the pancreas, and heart disease is one of the heart.

Are drug addictions hereditary?

Where multiple “addiction genes” appear in an individual, the likelihood of drug dependency is higher. These genetic traits are passed down with some variation, making heredity, as with other chronic illnesses, a key factor in drug addiction among families. Ready To Make A Change?

Are addicts genetically predisposed?

Scientists first began considering genetic predisposition to addiction when Harvard initiated a study examining incidents of substance abuse among identical and fraternal twins. Approximately 8,000 individuals were studied, representing 1,874 sets of identical twins and 1,498 sets of fraternal twins.

How does opioid addiction affect the brain?

Drugs of abuse, including opioids, act on the brain’s reward system, a system that transfers signals primarily via a molecule (neurotransmitter) called dopamine. The function of this system is affected by genetic and environmental factors.

Is there a link between mental illness and addiction?

While it is difficult to ascertain which came first, there is a definitive link between the incidence of mental illness corresponding with an increase in the incidence of substance abuse. Mental illness, like addiction, runs in families, offering a co-occurring factor in heredity and addictive behaviors.