What Is the Current Medical Definition of “addiction?” (More)?

Question by DLM: What is the current medical definition of “addiction?” (more)?
Also, does the definition differ from one substance to another, or in the case of gambling or other behaviors, where there is no chemical dependency, is there a separate definition for those as well?

I am just curious about the “umbrella” that the word addiction covers in the medical world, versus common everyday ‘people-talk’ use of the word. The more specifics you can provide, the better.

Best answer:

Answer by John de Witt
You’ll want a DSM-IV for all the definitions you’d ever care to look at.

What do you think? Answer below!

 

Ease the pain

Filed under: drug addiction help substance abuse

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1.2 million emergency room visits in Oklahoma that year were related to the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs, an increase of 98 percent since 2004. … “This is not surprising,” said …
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