What is an addiction?

What is an addiction?

Addiction is defined as an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behaviour even though it is causing psychological and physical harm. Addiction is most commonly associated with drugs (including medications) alcohol, gambling and smoking, but it's possible to be addicted to just about anything, including  food, work, the internet and shopping. 

Many people, but not all, start using a drug or first engage in an activity voluntarily as a way of eliciting pleasure or reward. However, addiction can take over and reduce self-control, sometimes very it happens very quickly. 

Addiction is a common problem, but you are not alone

‘Addiction is not a choice that anybody makes; it is not a moral failure. What it actually is: a response to human suffering.’ 


  • Seeking the substance or behaviour regularly with a sense of urgency
  • Creating secrecy, lying and hiding their use or behaviour from loved ones
  • Isolating more and socialising less, abandoning commitments or ignoring relationships
  • Emotional changes such mood swings, anxiety, low mood and lower tolerance to stress
  • A change in the personality including a lack of interest in hobbies or activities that used to be important 
  • Increase in impulsivity, engaging in dangerous and risky behaviours
  • Physical dependency and withdrawal symptoms
  • Difficulty maintaining jobs or other responsibilities
  • A decline in physical health and mental health
  • Loss of control, desire to stop but unable too

The brain plays a central role in addiction, and understanding its effects on the brain can help us understand the nature of addiction.  

When a person consumes addictive substances, the brain's reward system is activated. This system involves several brain regions, primarily the dopamine pathway. Addictive substances trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter which are chemical messengers that transmit signals between nerve cells in the brain throughout the body, influencing various physiological and psychological functions. Dopamine produces feelings of pleasure and makes us want to do it again. Dopamine is released in response to natural rewards like food or social interaction, but addictive substances often release much bigger levels of dopamine.  

With repeated substance use the brain adapts to the excessive dopamine levels by reducing the number of dopamine receptors. In other words, our brain actually decreases dopamine production when repeatedly use drugs or alcohol. This leads to a smaller response to the substance, which creates tolerance. Tolerance drives individuals to increase their use of the same or other substances to achieve the level of pleasure they experienced before. This escalation can lead to dependence, where the brain becomes reliant on the substance to function normally. Some people can become dependent on the substance because the effects of withdrawal on the body feel unbearable. 

Additionally, addiction involves changes in other brain regions involved in decision-making, impulse control, and self-regulation. Additionally, addiction involves changes in other brain regions, particularly at the very front, which are involved in decision-making, impulse control, and self-regulation. These changes can impair judgment, decision-making, and the ability to resist cravings, making it challenging for individuals to quit despite ive consequences.