
Image courtesy Mateus Záccero
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) issued a statement that addictions are the result of biochemical changes in the brain. Whether the addictive behavior involves alcohol, drugs, gambling, or sex—there’s an altered brain chemistry at work.
According to Dr. Michael Miller, past president of ASAM who oversaw the development of this new addiction definition, “the disease is about brains, not drugs. It’s about underlying neurology, not outward actions.”