Addiction is a long-term condition, like asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Of course, the goal is to stop using drugs or alcohol completely and not relapse. But when you see your addiction as ...

Opioid addiction is a long-term, manageable disease. Like other ongoing conditions – such as high blood pressure and diabetes – setbacks, including relapse, can happen. About half the people who have ...

Why are some individuals able to use recreational drugs in a controlled way, whereas others switch to the compulsive, relapsing drug-seeking and -taking habits that characterize substance use disorder ...

I never get over the weirdness of introducing myself to a group of people at a 12-step meeting. “Hi, I’m T and I’m an addict,” is how I have started a lot of conversations. Other people in recovery ...

Over six months, more than 60 people receiving medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder answered surveys on their smartphones about their mental health, psychological state and ...

Why would someone who seems to be doing well with their recovery start drinking again? This scenario often puzzles family and friends. Especially when they have witnessed a loved one successfully ...

In Philadelphia, over 1,170 people died of opioid overdoses in 2022, the last year for which complete data is available. More than 300 more died just over the bridge in Camden County. Research ...

Due to the innate complexity of addiction, its definition has been difficult to establish, and public understanding is skewed. Addiction has more recently been compared to chronic diseases. This ...

Over my 50-year career as an addiction researcher, these are the most common misconceptions I've heard about people with alcohol and drug addictions. Myth 1: Addiction is a bad choice. Many people ...

Why are some individuals able to use recreational drugs in a controlled way, whereas others switch to the compulsive, relapsing drug-seeking and -taking habits that characterize substance use disorder ...