There are many theories about the causes of addiction, the use and abuse of legal and illegal psychoactive substances. Biology, psychology, and social and cultural elements all play a role in the ...

The story of the microbiome is often portrayed as blissful mutualism: Throughout human evolution, the trillions of microbes colonizing every square inch of our bodies found ways to make their ...

Johns Hopkins philosophy professor Pickard’s scrupulous debut study challenges the dominant “diseased brain” paradigm of drug addiction. According to this model, prolonged drug use flicks a ...

Our understanding of substance use disorders as chronic but treatable health conditions has come a long way since the dark days when they were thought of as character flaws — or worse. Yet societal ...

Addiction is a state of severe physical and psychological dependence on certain substances. People living with addiction may have brain differences and often require treatment, but stigma can prevent ...

Although self-harm is not formally classified as an addiction in the DSM-5-TR, some experts argue that it can manifest as a behavioral addiction due to its effects on the brain’s reward system.

Narcissism is a personality disorder that shares many common traits with addiction. There are two types of narcissism, both of which may lead to tendencies in people that can, in turn, encourage ...