Definition: addiction

Addiction studies is at the crossroads of all disciplines concerned with human beings and their behaviour (psychology, neurobiology, clinical medicine, ...), but also to the substances they consume to alter their state of mind (pharmacology, history of drugs, etc.) and the contexts that interact with these behaviours (sociology, geopolitics, economics, cultural anthropology, etc.).
Addiction is characterised by:
the repeated inability to control substance use behaviour.
The continuation of this behaviour despite knowledge of its negative consequences.
Addiction therefore encompasses pathological substance use behaviours, abuse (or harmful use) and dependence.