Addiction

Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.

The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. These brain changes can be persistent, which is why drug addiction is considered a "relapsing" disease—people in recovery from drug use disorders are at increased risk for returning to drug use even after years of not taking the drug.

It's common for a person to relapse, but relapse doesn't mean that treatment doesn’t work. As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and adjusted based on patient response. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs.

Source: NIDA. 2018, June 6. Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction on July 12, 2024.

From Our Collection

Addiction Treatment Homework Planner – Brenda S. Lenz

Addiction: What Everyone Needs to Know – Suzette Glasner

The Beyond Addiction Workbook For Family & Friends: Evidence-Based Skills To Help a Loved One Make Positive Change

What’s the Big Deal About Addictions? Answers and Help for Teens

Help is Available.

In Connecticut, call 1-800-563-4086.
In the United States, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit findtreatment.gov.

Research & Data

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.
NIDA Research Topics
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 websites.
Research Data, Measures & Resources - NIDA
Links to various NIDA publications, databases, surveillance, prevention & treatment resources, and more.
SAMHSA Data
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.
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.

Screening Tools

Self-Help Groups

Apps

Inspirations from Hazelden
A collection of daily readings to inspire and encourage you on your recovery journey.

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NORA App
NORA is a free app from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Use NORA to prevent, treat, and report opioid overdose.

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Smart Recovery Mobile App
The tools, support, and resources you need right at your fingertips.
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Sober Living
A FREE personal recovery record that can help track and share your journey of recovery. Designed for iPad.
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