Addiction is a condition that has long baffled physicians and philosophers, to say nothing of those struggling with it and those around them. People have long debated whether addiction is a habit or a ...

Most medical experts say that addiction is a disease—whether that addiction is to drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. That ever-expanding list is one reason why neuroscientist Marc Lewis takes issue with ...

Addiction is often debated as either a disease or a choice, but in reality, it involves elements of both. Many people first ...

Addiction is one of the most intensely studied conditions in modern medicine, yet even with high‑resolution brain scans and genetic tools, scientists still cannot fully explain why some people get ...

With the opioid epidemic reaching into every corner of the U.S., more people are talking about addiction as a chronic disease rather than a moral failing. For researcher A. Thomas McLellan, who has ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American Over the past year and a half, Scientific ...

Cocaine addiction may persist because the drug rewires brain circuits through a protein called DeltaFosB. This buildup ...

Eric Gaier, MD, PhD, and Dean Eliott, MD, of the Department of Ophthalmology at Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, are co-authors of a paper published in ...

Is addiction a disease? Do the kids I work with at CASTLE have a pathological response to drugs and alcohol? The disease model of addiction is compelling, and has served its purpose in bringing needed ...

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 ...