Addiction has been around since the dawn of humanity. It is omnipresent in today's society, especially in the media. Unfortunately, many people still don't view addiction as the disease that it really is. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, “Addiction is a primary, chronic disease affecting brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry.” Another misconception about addiction is that it only involves substance abuse, but in reality anything a person finds pleasurable can turn into an addiction. The media portrays addiction in different ways, but again, most of them only relate to substance abuse and not behavioral addictions. The term addiction generally has a negative connotation. People tend to view addicts as “lesser people” and that their addiction is their own choice. Although addiction can arise from a person's choice at any given time, it is a brain disease that often cannot be easily cured. According to Time Magazine, “when exposed to drugs, our memory systems, reward circuits, decision-making skills, and conditioning come into play…to create an all-consuming pattern of uncontrollable craving.” This also applies to behavioral addictions. For someone who overeats, the pleasure center of the brain goes into overdrive, ultimately leading to addiction. Some theories about the effects of addiction suggest that it is linked to the prefrontal cortex of the brain. In some addicts, brain scans show reduced activation levels in this area, meaning their rational thinking is not being used and they are therefore more impulsive. According to researchers, dopamine - a neurotransmitter linked to the brain's reward system - also plays an important role in addiction. Dopamine is released in the brain during pleasure...... middle of article......gh, the person may even regress to the precontemplation stage. The final stage of change is called termination. At this point in the addict's life, the substance is no longer an essential solution in times of stress or crisis. The person continues to live a life of sobriety (A process for understanding how we approach recovery from addiction). Although addiction is often glorified by musical artists, it is a serious illness that can affect anyone. It is important to understand that although it seems like it, addicts do not choose to be addicted. Addiction affects the brain, altering our neurons and throwing our chemicals out of balance. Almost anything can become an addiction. It is therefore important to be aware of our actions and how we react to stressors. If you know someone struggling with addiction, it's important to help them recover because they can't do it alone..