According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is "a chronic, relapsing disease, characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain." Addiction impairs the body's organs and increases the risk of contracting other diseases. The Science catalog focuses on the disease of addiction and the impact of substance use on brain functioning.
Article
Punishment, the brain, and compulsive drinking
Article from Addiction Policy Forum by Mark Gold, MD
According to Dr. Mark Gold, "Heavy drinking and binge drinking on their own, while still risky, are not the only problem. In a study published in Science, researchers took up this question: what leads only some individuals who drink heavily to drink compulsively? They tracked neuron activity in mice to gauge how experiences of punishment in the brain might affect compulsive drinking patterns."
This article discusses the findings of that study and the roles of fear and punishment in AUD.
