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The Disease of Addiction

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Drug Courts

Abstract

Addiction is a disease of the pleasure-producing chemistry of the brain. Drugs of abuse share the ability to activate the chemical pathways in the brain. When active, they yield feelings of well-being, pleasure, and euphoria. By overstimulating the pleasure system, the drugs cause neuron-adaptive changes that damage the normal experience of pleasure (1).

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Stalcup, S.A. (2007). The Disease of Addiction. In: Lessenger, J.E., Roperd, G.F. (eds) Drug Courts. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71433-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71433-2_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-71432-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-71433-2

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