Being involved with addiction for the last 25 years and having struggled with my own substance abuse problems it never ceases to amaze me how the medical community theorizes various societal problems without looking at all the facts. It is very misleading and purposefully so, to the demise of those struggling needing addiction treatment help.

The great society of doctors known as the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) took a position by redefining addiction as a chronic brain disorder and not just a behavior problem. Quoted recently in USA today Dr Michael Miller says "At its core, addiction isn't just a social problem or a moral problem or a criminal problem. It's a brain problem whose behaviors manifest in all these other areas," Dr. Michael Miller, Past President of ASAM, who oversaw the development of the new definition, said in a news release. "Many behaviors driven by addiction are real problems and sometimes criminal acts. But the disease is about brains, not drugs. It's about underlying neurology, not outward actions."

What these fine physicians fail to mention are the nutritional and physical deficiencies that are directly related to changes in brain function and modifies behavior. Some deficiencies usually are present prior to substance abuse occurring which exacerbates the problem, further altering behavior and brain function. What about addicts who have entered drug rehab treatment and successfully been able to end addiction? Does that require continued treatment or are they magically cured?

According the article nearly two decades of research has gone into these findings which determined addiction affects the neurotransmission and interactions within reward circuitry of the brain, leading to addictive behaviors that supplant healthy behaviors, while memories of previous experiences with food, sex, alcohol and other drugs trigger craving and renewal of addictive behaviors.

This altered brain circuitry then governs impulse control and judgment that result in continued reward seeking with alcohol or drugs. The article goes on to say the area of the brain though the responsible is still developing during teen‐age years, which may be why early exposure to alcohol and drugs is related to greater likelihood of addiction later in life.  

Note the disclaimer "this may be why" which leaves room for doubt and if this is true how can medical professionals justify medicating kids with amphetamines and antidepressants to modify behavior. Of course there are underlying issues surrounding any addiction problem, and some kind of satisfaction is pursued which then turns into a learned behavior.

The studies on brain activity show the after effects of substance abuse and addiction problems which basically are the toxic effects of drugs. They still don't have it right and I have my suspicions as to why. I'm wondering how many of these fine doctors are on Pharmaceutical boards. The imagery shown in this study is the alteration of brain function have it has been inundated with toxins, not prior. Also many of these scans are of children of people who have been medicated on ADHD and psychotropics.

Doctor's have to label it a disease so they have something to treat and continue to medicate. Ironically more addicts are being created from prescription drugs prescribed by a doctor. What people who have suffered injuries and illnesses and followed the prescription drug instructions of their physician, became addicted to pain killers. Did they have a brain disorder prior to becoming chemically dependent? 

If you wonder why we have such a problem with drugs or alcohol addiction and hundreds of thousands of people need drug addiction treatment just open up the paper and read about the latest news on false marketing by pharmaceutical companies. This is the main problem with addiction in this country and the world as a whole. Money talks which allows for false and misleading information about drugs and the effects they have so the masses can be enslaved to the whims of others for profit.