---
id: kb-2026-00428
title: Addiction Science
schema_type: TechArticle
category: health
language: en
confidence: medium
last_verified: '2026-05-28'
created_date: '2026-05-22'
generation_method: ai_assisted
ai_models:
  - claude-opus
derived_from_human_seed: true
conflict_of_interest: none_declared
is_live_document: false
data_period: static
atomic_facts:
  - id: fact-health-001
    statement: >-
      ASAM defines addiction as a treatable chronic medical disease involving brain circuits,
      genetics, environment, and life experiences.
    source_title: Definition of Addiction
    source_url: https://www.asam.org/quality-care/definition-of-addiction
    confidence: medium
  - id: fact-health-002
    statement: >-
      SAMHSA describes substance use disorder treatment as including behavioral therapies,
      medications, recovery support, and other clinical services.
    source_title: Substance Use Disorder Treatment
    source_url: https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment
    confidence: medium
  - id: fact-health-003
    statement: >-
      NIDA identifies methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone as FDA-approved medications used for
      opioid use disorder.
    source_title: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
    source_url: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/medications-opioid-use-disorder
    confidence: medium
completeness: 0.88
known_gaps:
  - >-
    Coverage intentionally narrowed to directly sourced public evidence; adjacent subtopics are not
    exhaustively covered.
disputed_statements: []
primary_sources:
  - title: Definition of Addiction
    type: professional_guidance
    year: 2019
    url: https://www.asam.org/quality-care/definition-of-addiction
    institution: American Society of Addiction Medicine
  - title: Substance Use Disorder Treatment
    type: government_document
    year: 2026
    url: https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment
    institution: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  - title: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
    type: government_document
    year: 2026
    url: https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/medications-opioid-use-disorder
    institution: National Institute on Drug Abuse
secondary_sources: []
updated: '2026-05-28'
---
## TL;DR

Addiction science treats addiction and substance use disorders as medical conditions involving behavior, brain systems, environment, and treatment access. This version avoids rankings and slogans and uses clinical/public-health sources.

## Core Explanation

The narrowed article focuses on evidence-backed framing: addiction is a treatable chronic medical disease, substance use disorder treatment can include behavioral therapies and medications, and opioid use disorder has FDA-approved medications such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

## Further Reading

- [Definition of Addiction](https://www.asam.org/quality-care/definition-of-addiction)
- [Substance Use Disorder Treatment](https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment)
- [Medications for Opioid Use Disorder](https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/medications-opioid-use-disorder)

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