AKA: Substance Use Disorder
A chronic medical condition where someone continues to use alcohol or drugs despite harmful consequences, often experiencing cravings, loss of control, and changes in the brain.
In the context of addiction treatment:
Clinicians often use the term substance use disorder (SUD) with levels of severity (mild, moderate, severe) instead of “addiction,” but many people still use “addiction” in everyday language.
What to know:
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Addiction is not a moral failure; it’s a treatable health condition.
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Effective treatment often combines medical care, counseling, peer support, and ongoing recovery tools.