Pharmacology of Substance Abuse. Neuroscience of Addiction

Pharmacology of Substance Abuse. Neuroscience of Addiction is organized by ACTS Consulting, Inc.

Course Description:
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, 2014) defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because psychoactive substances change the brain – they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long-lasting, and can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who have a substance use disorder. SUDs disrupt normal healthy functioning of the brain, have serious harmful consequences, and are preventable and treatable. If left untreated, SUDs can last a lifetime. Neuroscientific research over the last two decades have been able to demonstrate that substance use disorders are a disease that affects both the brain and behavior. SUDs are not the result of a moral failing or lack of willpower. Psychoactive substances change the central nervous system, creating the ideal environment for compulsive substance use disorders.