Addiction Is a Complex Disease

In a WBUR CommonHealth article, “How I Was Seduced By Cigarettes, And What Set Me Free,” David C. Holzman bravely recalled his struggle with the addiction of nicotine. He was honest enough to describe the stressors in his life that made him vulnerable to the addiction and the changes of fortune that helped him to recover.

Holzman’s article can help dispel some common myths about addiction.

As the American Psychiatric Association says, “Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence.” That is correct, but many people define addiction incorrectly.