I’ve generally felt critical of the “disease” label for addiction. But having read your many comments and looked up some recent literature, I can now give it its due. Psychiatrists – because they are ...

In 1997, Alan Leshner, then director of the National Institute for Drug Abuse, wrote an article entitled “Addiction Is a Brain Disease and It Matters.” That eight-word title became the perfect sound ...

Addiction is often debated as either a disease or a choice, but in reality, it involves elements of both. Many people first partake in addictive activities by choice, whether out of curiosity, social ...

Classifying addiction as a disease can allow for better outcomes for patients. Classifying addiction as a disease can allow for better outcomes for patients. James Murphy, MD, discusses the treatment ...

More than 48 million Americans are battling substance use disorder. Many are deteriorating in plain sight — on sidewalks, in encampments, and in emergency rooms. Others decline behind closed doors.

Every experience leaves a trace in the brain, a memory that can shape future behavior. Alcohol and other addictive substances ...

Ramirez is an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University. When philosophers imagined the ship of Theseus, they asked: Can a vessel that has all its planks replaced ...

A growing movement claims social media is “addictive,” and lawmakers are treating it as settled science. But the evidence is ...