Addiction Identified as Chronic Brain Disorder

01:18 Addiction Identified as Chronic Brain Disorder 0 Comments

Addiction will no longer be considered a behavior disorder, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) announced Monday. Instead, addicts will be considered to have a chronic brain disorder, and one not necessarily related to problematic substance abuse, Live Science reported.

ASAM has been contemplating updating the definition of addiction for four years, implementing a review process that involved more than 80 experts. The new switch is a result of that work.

Former president of ASAM Michael Miller outlined the new definition.

“At its core, addiction isn’t just a social problem or a moral problem or a criminal problem,” he said. “It’s a brain problem whose behaviors manifest in all these other areas. Many behaviors driven by addiction are real problems and sometimes criminal acts. But the disease is about brains, not drugs. It’s about underlying neurology, not outward actions.”

The updated definition also involves classifying addiction as a primary disease. That means addiction is not the result of other causes, like emotional or psychiatric problems, Live Science explained. Addiction is chronic as well, meaning it must be treated and monitored over a person’s lifetime.