Remarkable scientific progress over the past five decades has helped us develop knowledge of how drugs of abuse induce pleasure, reinforce use, and lead to the compulsive self-administration we call ...

Addiction often isn’t about chasing pleasure—it’s about escaping pain. Researchers at Scripps Research have discovered that a ...

Since the 1970s, countless experts and the US government have sold the public a simple explanation for drug addiction, now clinically called substance abuse disorder: the myth of the gateway drug.

For decades, Americans have been told a simple story about addiction: taking drugs damages the brain—and the earlier in life children start using substances, the more likely they are to progress ...

Research on the biological basis of addiction has found that the critical epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) limits the expression of the gene Scn4b, regulating neuronal activity and ...

Everyday human behavior is guided and shaped by the search for rewards. This includes eating tasty meals, drinking something refreshing, sexual activity and nurturing children. Many of these behaviors ...

How political red tape and a drug company’s thirst for profits limited the reach of a drug that experts believe could have reduced the opioid epidemic’s toll. Credit...Photo illustration by Ben Denzer ...

Why do so many people relapse after quitting cocaine? A new study from The Hebrew University reveals that a specific "anti-reward" brain circuit becomes hyperactive during withdrawal-driving ...

This is part of Revenge Week, a series about how vengeance runs America, from the White House to cheating spouses to that bad boss who totally deserved it. Imagine that you have two adorable pets: a ...

Now, YouTube channel The Infographics Show has shared a simulation video of what can happen to your body if you smoke weed ...

Cameron Douglas discusses his new memoir "Long Way Home" with his dad. Cameron Douglas' longtime struggle with addiction brought the son of a Hollywood icon, Michael Douglas, to his knees after a ...