Читать книгу A Parent's Guide to Substance Abuse and Addiction - Kellena Page - Страница 6

It was once believed that addiction was an issue of willpower, that people could simply choose to be or not be addicted to a substance.^{4, 13, 16} However, with the help of science, we now know that addiction, whether it is to nicotine, alcohol, or illegal substances, is a brain disease, not a moral fault.^{4, 13, 16} In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as “a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.”¹³ Addiction is considered a brain disease because drugs physically change the brain and how it works.¹³ These changes can sometimes be irreversible and can lead to harmful behaviors that are characteristic of drug abusers.¹³