Addiction is a chronic disease that affects the brain’s reward, motivation, and memory functions. While alcohol or drug use is initially voluntary, and sometimes socially acceptable, some can stop with continued usage, and many cannot. The truth about addiction is that it is pervasive in our society. Mental health issues, emotional and physical pain, and stressors, are also recognized as driving factors behind a person’s misuse of drugs and alcohol. Self-medication suggests that there is an underlying cause that leads someone to use drugs, and the intention may be more to relieve dysphoria than to seek euphoria. Join us in this thoughtful conversation, as Jane Dawson, M.A., MFT, and I discuss addiction.
