Addictive (other)

Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use often alters brain function in ways that perpetuate craving, and weakens (but does not completely negate) self-control. This phenomenon – drugs reshaping brain function – has led to an understanding of addiction as a brain disorder with a complex variety of psychosocial as well as neurobiological (and thus involuntary) factors that are implicated in addiction's development. Classic signs of addiction include compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, ''preoccupation'' with substances or behavior, and continued use despite negative consequences. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification (short-term reward), coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs).

Examples of drug (or more generally, substance) addictions include alcoholism, marijuana addiction, amphetamine addiction, cocaine addiction, nicotine addiction, opioid addiction, and eating or food addiction. Alternatively, behavioural addictions may include gambling addiction, internet addiction, video game addiction, pornography addiction and sexual addiction. The only behavioral addiction recognized by the DSM-5 and the ICD-10 is gambling addiction. With the introduction of the ICD-11 gaming addiction was appended. The term "addiction" is frequently misused when referring to other compulsive behaviors or disorders, particularly dependence, in news media. An important distinction between drug addiction and dependence is that drug dependence is a disorder in which cessation of drug use results in an unpleasant state of withdrawal, which can lead to further drug use. Addiction is the compulsive use of a substance or performance of a behavior that is independent of withdrawal. Addiction can occur in the absence of dependence, and dependence can occur in the absence of addiction, although the two often occur together.

Drug or substance addiction

Drug addiction, also known as substance use disorders, is a chronic and relapsing brain disorder that features drug seeking and drug abuse, despite their harmful effects. This form addiction changes brain circuitry such that the brain's reward system is compromised, causing functional consequences to stress management and self-control. Damage to the functions of the organs involved can persist throughout a lifetime and can cause death, if untreated. Substances involved with drug addiction include; alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, opioids, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and even foods with high fat and sugar content. Drug addictions can begin experimentally in social contexts, can arise from use of prescribed medications or a variety of other measures.

Risk factors for Drug addiction includes:

* Aggressive behavior (particularly in childhood)
* Absent/lack of parental supervision
* Lack of peer refusal skills
* Drug experimentation
* Availability of drugs
* Community economic status
* Mental disorders
* Epigenetics
* Usage of drugs in youth
* Method drug is taken

Food addiction

Reviews of preclinical studies indicate that long-term frequent and excessive consumption of high fat or sugar foods can produce an addiction. Similarly to addictive drugs, foods high in fat and sugar trigger the brain's reward/pleasure centers, such that the individual may desire the same foods to an increasing degree over time. The signals sent when consuming highly palatable foods have the ability to counteract the body's signals for fullness, leading to persistent cravings. Those who show signs of food addiction may develop food tolerances, in which they eat more, despite the food becoming less satisfactory.

Chocolate is a food that can cause a food addiction. Chocolate's sweet flavor and pharmacological ingredients is known to create a strong craving or feel 'addictive' by the consumer. A person who has a strong liking for chocolate may refer to themselves as a chocoholic. Chocolate is not yet formally recognized by the DSM-5 as a diagnosable addiction.

The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), version 2.0, is the current standard measure for assessing whether an individual exhibits signs and symptoms of food addiction. It was developed in 2009 at Yale University on the hypothesis that foods high in fat, sugar, and salt have addictive-like effects which contribute to problematic eating habits. The YFAS is designed to address 11 substance-related and addictive disorders (SRADs) using a 35-item questionnaire, based on the diagnostic criteria for SRADs as per DSM-5. A potential food addiction diagnosis is predicted by the presence of at least 2 out of 11 SRADs and a significant impairment to daily activities.

Behavioral addiction

The term "behavioral addiction" refers to a compulsion to engage in a natural reward – which is a behavior that is inherently rewarding (i.e., desirable or appealing) – despite adverse consequences. Preclinical evidence has demonstrated that marked increases in the expression of ΔFosB through repetitive and excessive exposure to a natural reward induces the same behavioral effects and neuroplasticity as occurs in a drug addiction.