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Traditional Workshop

Addiction

Understanding and Treating Addiction

Traditional Workshop 16 - Understanding and Treating Addiction

Sunday, June 28, 2026
8:30 AM - 11:30 AM PDT
Location: Sierra K, 5th Floor
Earn 3 Credit
Ticketed Session
Keywords: Addictive Behaviors, Alcohol Use, Drug Use
Level of Familiarity: Basic
Recommended Readings: Kelly JF, Volkow ND, Koh HK. The changing approach to addiction - from incarceration to treatment and recovery support. N Engl J Med 2025;392:833-836. ,   Kelly JF, Westerhoff C. Does it matter how we refer to individuals with substance-related problems? A randomized study with two commonly used terms. Int J Drug Policy. 2010 May;21(3):202-207. Epub 2009 Dec 14. ,   Kelly JF, Greene MC, Bergman BG. Beyond abstinence: Changes in indices of quality of life with time in recovery in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Alcohol Clin Exp Res.2018;42(4):770-780. Epub 2018 Feb 23. ,   ,  
Substance use disorders and behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling) are among the most prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorders worldwide conferring a massive annual burden of disease and economic drain. Much has been learned during the past 50 years regarding the etiology, pharmacology, neurobiology, epidemiology, typology, and phenomenology of addiction that has given rise to numerous advances in behavioral and medication treatments. Despite vast knowledge gains, translation, dissemination, and comprehension of that knowledge has remained limited. Common questions such as: What is "addiction" and why do some and not others people become addicted? Is addiction a "disease"? Should all drugs be legal? Can alcohol/drug use be prevented during adolescence or is use a "right of passage"? Does AA work? Should everyone go to "rehab" or is it a waste of money? Do harm minimization strategies assist remission or "enable" continued use? Are methadone/buprenorphine just "liquid handcuffs"? What treatments work best? Is abstinence necessary? Is abstinence the best outcome?", are some of the most common questions asked that will be addressed during this workshop. Issues of classification/taxonomy and terminology will also be discussed. Participants will obtain a foundational comprehensive knowledge of the field of addiction psychology.

Outline:
• Taxonomy, terminology, and Phenomenology - describes the different classifications of substance use disorders during the past 50 years, rationale for changes, as well as related terminology and experiences with addiction
• Etiology, Epidemiology, and Typology – describes current state of the scientific knowledge on causes, prevalence, and phenotypes of substance use disorder
• Clinical course, treatment, and recovery – describes the new knowledge gained pertaining to the clinical course and recovery attempts for differing levels of severity, complexity, chronicity and reviews paradigm shifts and new research on recovery science

Learning Objectives:

  • Delineate the substantive differences between substance use, harmful/hazardous use, misuse, disorder, and addiction.
  • Describe the historical context and scientific architecture that is responsible for the present state of addiction science.
  • Name three major theories that help to explain the process of addiction onset, course, and remission and recovery.