Addiction is a treatable medical illness and not a moral failing, a choice, or a character flaw. Addiction, also referred to as substance use disorder, is an illness. All major health experts agree including The American Medical Association, The National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and more. Many treatment options for addiction are highly effective. Decades of scientific research show what works best, but all the experts agree that one size does not fit all. From individually tailored recovery plans, therapy, medications, or a combination of all, there is hope.

‌The way addiction affects the body has a lot to do with brain chemistry. Our brains are wired to reward us when we do something pleasurable. Exercising, eating, and other behaviors that are directly linked to our survival trigger the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. This not only makes us feel good, but it encourages us to keep doing what we’re doing and teaches our brains to repeat the behavior. Drugs trigger that same part of the brain: the reward system. When someone uses a substance, whether it’s marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine, or other drugs—their brain releases a lot of dopamine. This process tells the brain that this is a behavior that should be remembered and repeated. Over time, drug use leads to much smaller releases of dopamine and the brain’s reward center is less receptive to pleasure and enjoyment, both from drugs as well as from everyday sources, like relationships or activities that a person once enjoyed.

‌Consequences, shame, and punishment are not always the most effective ways to heal a person’s addiction. An addict can’t undo the effects drugs have had on their body chemistry through sheer willpower. Like other chronic illnesses, such as asthma or type 2 diabetes, ongoing management of addiction is required for long-term recovery. And there are plenty of evidence-based solutions that can help people with substance use disorders get there.

‌The addiction crisis is deadlier than ever before and overdoses are the #1 cause of accidental death in our country. According to the CDC, there were over 112,000 fatal overdoses in the 12 months between May 2022 and May 2023 which was the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in the U.S. in a single year. About 60% of those deaths are linked to illicitly manufactured or adulterated fentanyl, which is now the leading cause of death for Americans of the ages 18 to 49, according to the CDC and a recent The Washington Post analysis – more than car accidents, suicides, or gun violence. Fentanyl has dramatically changed the drug landscape in America. However, not all overdose deaths are caused by opioids alone. According to the CDC, alcohol-related deaths had increased by 43% from 2006 to 2018 and a year into the pandemic the rates were still high. In 2022, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 49 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including nearly 30 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.

‌Addiction costs our country more than $532 billion each year and the costs keep rising. We’re hemorrhaging money on this crisis, and all that spending is not doing much to protect our loved ones. With all the advancements we have today, we could save countless lives by increasing access to recovery support with an approach that’s compassionate, evidence-based, and rooted in public health.