Skip to main content
Medicine LibreTexts

6: Substance Abuse and Addictions

  • Page ID
    34836
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Learning Objectives
    • understand a set of fundamentals about neurobiology and how drugs of abuse change the brain
    • recognize that drug addiction is a treatable, chronic brain disease
    • experience the process of scientific inquiry and develop an enhanced understanding of the nature and methods of science
    • appreciate the role of science in society and the relationship between basic science and human health. understand that drug abuse initially is a voluntary behavior
    • to define drug addiction as the continued compulsive drug abuse despite known adverse health or social consequences
    • understand that drug abuse and addiction are associated with long-term physical and functional changes in the brain
    • recognize that addiction is influenced by biological factors (for example, genetics and age) and by the social and behavioral context of drug use.


    This page titled 6: Substance Abuse and Addictions is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Judy Baker via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

    • Was this article helpful?