Understanding Drug Addiction: Causes, Impact & Treatment

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug abuse and addiction are a significant societal burden; the total societal cost is more than half a trillion dollars yearly. Often people characterize drug addiction as a weakness in the user; however, it is a severe brain disease that is difficult to overcome.

How it Happens

• Drug addiction is spawned by the abuse of drugs, which modifies the brain's structure and operation. It is often a relapsing illness that makes the user seeks drugs compulsively without regard for the dangerous consequences.

Brain Reaction

• Drugs work by entering the user's communication system, interfering with how it transmits, receives and absorbs information. It accomplishes this by mimicking the brain's neurotransmitters (natural chemical messengers) and by overexciting the brain's pleasure center (reward circuit).

Addiction Factors

• Addiction risks include an individual's genes and her environment; both combined accounts for half of her susceptibility to addiction. In addition, critical stages such as adolescence can make an individual vulnerable to drug addiction.

Treatment

• According to NIDA, medications are available for opiate and alcohol addiction only; treatment includes methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. Treatments are being developed for stimulant and cannabis addiction. Behavioral therapy is often used to address the patient's psychological issues relating to drug abuse.

Prevention/Solution

• Drug addiction can be prevented. According to NIDA, results from research show that prevention programs that include families, schools, communities and the media can lower drug abuse.