This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American Over the past year and a half, Scientific ...

Addiction is a chronic brain disorder and not simply a behavior problem involving alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex, experts contend in a new definition of addiction, one that is not solely related to ...

My previous posts have focused on recognizing and preventing excessive substance use, with an emphasis on providing the latest information about my special interest – cannabis (see 20 Questions to ...

Although self-harm is not formally classified as an addiction in the DSM-5-TR, some experts argue that it can manifest as a behavioral addiction due to its effects on the brain’s reward system.

When science first studied addictive behavior individuals who became addicted to a substance commonly were viewed as being morally flawed human beings lacking willpower. Today, that view has changed.

“When I use a word,” one of 19th century British author and mathematician Lewis Carroll’s characters once said, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” Though he was a ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American Over the past year and a half, Scientific ...