National geographic : the science of addiction

sign of abating. The 33,000 overdose deaths from opioids in 2015 were a also set a record. Drug overdoses are now a leading cause of death among Americans under 50—but only part of a broader addiction landscape that ranges from drug and alcohol abuse to obses- sive eating, gambling, and even sex. For this month’s cover story, “The Addicted Brain,” we went in search of the “why.” Why do human beings get addicted to substances and behaviors we know will harm us? What can new research tell us about addiction and the brain? Most important: Can what we’re learning help more people recover? “Not long ago the idea of repairing the brain’s wiring to fight addiction would have seemed far-fetched,” medical writer Fran Smith reports in our story. “But advances in neuroscience have upended conventional notions about addiction — what it is, what can trigger it, and why quitting is so tough.” The very nature of addiction is being rethou Smith says: “Addiction is a disease,