Definition Of Addiction
How many legitimate definitions of addiction are there? There are hundreds-literally hundreds. Which one is the best? Actually, there are several good ones. Read on. Morse & Flavin's (RM Morse,DK Flavin JAMA, 1992 Am Med Assoc) definition of addiction represents the one traditionally utilized by treatment centers and substance abuse counselors. It is very good and touches all of the bases. Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 68, No.8, Morse & Flavin defined addiction thusly (paraphrased for simplicity): Addiction is a primary, progressive, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over use of the substance, preoccupation with the substance, use of the substance despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1994)