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Addiction

Addiction is treatable, chronic, relapsing brain disease, characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use that persists even in the face of extremely negative consequences.
The path to drug addiction begins with the act of taking drugs. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take drugs can be compromised. Drug seeking becomes compulsive, largely as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and, thus, on behavior. 

Addiction often involves not only compulsive drug taking but also a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors that can interfere with normal functioning in the family, the workplace, and the broader community. Addiction also can place people at increased risk for a wide variety of other illnesses. These illnesses can be brought on by the toxic effects of the drugs, unsafe sex, sharing needles, and may be compounded by a lack of access to access to basic needs such as health care, food, or housing. 

Much like other diseases, addiction is preventable and treatable. Recovery is possible. However, if left untreated, addiction can last a lifetime and may lead to death. In Connecticut, help is available by calling 1-800-563-4086. People may also wish to use the widget below to locate a treatment facility:

                                                                  

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse 

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  • Connecticut Data Collaborative

    Users may search by location or topic. Topic selections include: Civic vitality, Demographics, Economy, Health, Education, Housing, and Safety. The Health category includes data sets on mental health, treatment admissions, substance use, mortality, and tobacco use.

  • Data and Dissemination - SAMHSA

    Find data and reports on mental health, substance use treatment, and drug use from sources that include: the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), National Mental Health Services Survey (NMHSS), and more.

  • NIDA Notes This publication covers drug abuse research in the areas of treatment and prevention, epidemiology, neuroscience, behavioral science, health services, and AIDS. The publication reports on research; identifies resources; and promotes communication among clinicians, researchers, administrators, policymakers, and the public.
  • PubMed

    PubMed comprises more than 20 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

  • Research Data, Measures & Resources - NIDA

    Links to various NIDA publications, databases, surveillance, prevention & treatment resources, and more.

  • The Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System

    The Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System is a prescription drug abuse, misuse and diversion surveillance system that collects timely product-and geographically-specific data.

  • University of Washington - ADAI Bibliographies on Substance Abuse

    The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI) Library at the University of Washington provides a list of bibliographies on substance abuse. The bibliographies include citations to journal articles, books, book chapters, and miscellaneous reports and unpublished documents.

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