Addiction is a strong dependence on a behavior or substance to such an extent that a person feels powerless to stop.

The term "dependence for substance abuse" is often used in place of addiction.

Many researchers have grouped addictions into two types: substance addictions (including alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process or behavioral addictions (including gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity).

There is also a growing belief that many addicts, including polydrug abusers, are addicted to more than one substance or process.

Addiction is also an extremely costly public health problem and will increase in severity over time unless it is treated.

Frequent relapses are also common with substance abusers. They will often make repeated attempts to quit before they are successful.

Substance abuse is especially strong amongst males as, compared to females, males are almost four times as likely to be heavy drinkers, nearly one and a half more likely to smoke a pack or more of cigarettes daily, and twice as likely to smoke marijuana weekly.

However, these gender differences are decreasing among adolescents.

Frequent use of tobacco, cocaine and heavy drinking appears to have remained stable to the end of the last century. However, marijuana use has increased.

A growing problem is addiction to pain killers, including those requiring prescriptions. In 1999, an estimated four million Americans over the age of 12 used prescription pain relievers, sedatives, and stimulants for "non-medical" reasons during one month.

At present, in the United States, 25% of the population regularly uses tobacco. It is now believed tobacco use reportedly kills 2.5 times as many people each year as alcohol and drug abuse combined.

Behavioral addictions are a widespread concern with more than 1,000 young women dying each year from anorexia nervosa and an estimated 15.4 million Americans suffering from a gambling addiction. In the Harvard study on gambling, over half that number (7.9 million) were adolescents.

Click here to add this page to your favorites so that you can return to this site.

For more information on Addictions visit our home page at www.Know-Today.com.