Harvard Medical School Overcoming Addiction: Paths toward recovery

For many years, experts believed that addiction stemmed only from using powerful drugs that co-opted the brain, the mind, and then the person. More recently, we ve recognized that excessive behaviors such as gambling, shopping, and sex also can lead to addiction. The hallmarks of this common problem are the 3 C s : craving for the object of addiction, which can be mild to intense, loss of control over the use of object of addiction, and continued engagement with the object of addiction despite adverse consequences. Several scientific advances have shaped our understanding of addiction. For example, new brain imaging technologies have revealed that our brains respond similarly to different pleasurable experiences, whether derived from drugs or behaviors. Genetic research has uncovered that some people are predisposed to addiction, but not to a specific type of addiction. Finally, medications developed to treat one addiction have, in some cases, proven helpful for treating a different type of addiction. This report describes a number of effective treatments for addiction, including self-help strategies, psychotherapy, medications, and rehabilitation programs. It also includes targeted advice on specific types of addiction, as well as information about coping with a loved one s addiction.