What is Addiction?
July 19th 2025
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What is Addiction, Really?
What is Addiction, Really?
Addiction isn't what most people assume it to be—a lack of willpower, a lack of desire to change, or something that only affects "certain" individuals."
Substance dependence is defined as the use of drugs, despite negative repercussions on family life, social life, work, and personal health. It's more than just a moral failure, but rather a neurobiological disorder involving dysregulation in brain chemicals. Substances severely impair the brain in its ability to control impulses and feel pleasure from normal activities, creating a self-strengthening loop of substance abuse, driven by craving and anhedonia—a reduced ability to feel pleasure from everyday activities. Many individuals struggling with addiction often face financial instability, loneliness, and depression.
Painting by Ruby Baik
Why is it so Hard to Stop?
To grasp why giving up drugs (or even social media!) can be so painfully challenging, we have to dissect exactly how drugs cause addiction.
It all begins in the brain—the control center of our nervous system. In the brain, there are billions of brain cells called neurons. Between each pair of connected neurons is a tiny gap of space called a synapse. Within the synapse, brain chemicals—called neurotransmitters—are exchanged between neurons. One specific neurotransmitter is dopamine.
While dopamine is often mistaken as being the "happy" or "pleasure" chemical, it's more heavily linked to motivation and craving, which drives learning and behavior. Many drugs directly or indirectly target this chemical, causing the user to feel a sense of euphoria, frequently described as a "high." When drugs are abused, dopamine floods the synapse, overwhelming the brain.
After continued use of the drug, the brain adapts by making its receptors less sensitive to dopamine, making the user consume more of the substance for the same "high" effect, a process known as tolerance. This makes regular tasks—that release a normal amount of dopamine—harder to complete. When chronic use ensues, the individual can become dependent on the drug, no longer using it for a euphoric feeling, but rather to survive and function normally.
In addition, when a drug is not taken for a period of time, users can experience withdrawal symptoms, some that mimic flu-like symptoms. These symptoms can range from mild anxiety to severe pain, making it sometimes deadly to stop drug use suddenly.
Combined with societal stigma and oftentimes, depression, it's not a mystery as to why going sober can be so hard for those battling addiction.
There is Hope—Recovery
There is Hope—Recovery
While the effects of substances are permanent and chronic, there are treatments options available. In addition, there are biological interventions being explored and tested for future use. Some current recovery methods are therapy, medication, and support groups. However, what prevents many individuals from pursuing recovery is money, stigma, and hopelessness. Addictive drugs also cause excessive spending, as individuals depend on the drug and need more of it. This leaves many users impoverished, both of money and dignity. Their sense of worth begins to fade, losing hope as they are rejected from place to place. Many end up on the streets, cold and without compassion, often seen as "less than human" and "untrustworthy." Rather than being treated so, they should be able to receive the support, both mentally and physically, to recover from addictive habits. Even with small acts of kindness, one can be deeply encouraged through the process of recovery. Through crochet, we can help individuals battling addiction with encouragement and care, gifting them handmade love. My long-term goal is to support people in recovery both through science and creativity, developing scientific knowledge through research and stitching up fabric hearts.
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