As of 2021, more than 36 million people were estimated to be experiencing substance use disorder. This condition spans a spectrum of patterned drug use that causes issues in a person’s life, with substance addiction at the more severe end. Why are some people more susceptible to addiction, and why can it be so difficult to treat? Judy Grisel takes a look at how addictive drugs affect the body.

What really causes addiction -- to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do -- and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem.

In her talk, Dr. Grisel takes us through her journey through addiction and sobriety. Her talk, however, focuses on the neuroscience of addiction and how substances can alter your brain making it harder to recover and how these disorders take hold of our lives.

The British Psychological Society

In Johann Hari's 2015 TedTalk, 'Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong', he concludes: 'For 100 years now, we've been singing war songs about addicts. I think all along we should have been singing love songs to them, because the opposite of addiction is not sobriety.

The New York Times

We live at a time when everything is available at every moment. Just on your phone, you can order lunch, bet on sports, read this story, watch porn, chat with a friend, chat with a stranger, chat with a large language model or buy a car. Dr. Anna Lembke says that all that convenience and abundance is making us less happy, and there is plenty of research to back her up: In the developed world, we are lonelier, more anxious and more depressed than ever.

Steven Laviolette | TEDxWesternU

The Human Condition; a concept that is intimately intertwined with every single one of our lives. All of us subscribe to the human condition and the diversity of what that means makes humanity the enigma that it is. Together we will try to navigate its definition from the perspectives of a variety of professionals. From implications on healthcare to business to human rights, TEDxWesternU 2015 will explore what it means to be human.

Markus Heilig | TEDxNorrköping

The basic mechanisms behind the devopment of addiction. Contributions from brain science. Impact from stress and social exclusion. . The genetic and epigenetic components. Findings from neuroscience. Influence from social and cultural environment. Experience from different approaches to treatment.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Drugs are chemical substances that can change how your body and mind work. They include prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.