Addiction
Drug addiction is a complex illness. It is characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence.
Fact Sheets
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- Resource Guide for Behavioral Health 2023
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- Tips For Talking With A Teen About Drugs
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- Treatments For Opioid Use Disorder
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Research & Statistics
- Connecticut Data Collaborative
Users may search by location or topic. Topic selections include: Civic vitality, Demographics, Economy, Health, Education, Housing, and Safety. The Health category includes data sets on mental health, treatment admissions, substance use, mortality, and tobacco use.
- Data and Dissemination - SAMHSA
Find data and reports on mental health, substance use treatment, and drug use from sources that include: the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), National Mental Health Services Survey (NMHSS), and more.
- NIDA Notes This publication covers drug abuse research in the areas of treatment and prevention, epidemiology, neuroscience, behavioral science, health services, and AIDS. The publication reports on research; identifies resources; and promotes communication among clinicians, researchers, administrators, policymakers, and the public.
- PubMed
PubMed comprises more than 20 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
- Research Data, Measures & Resources - NIDA
Links to various NIDA publications, databases, surveillance, prevention & treatment resources, and more.
- The Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System
The Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System is a prescription drug abuse, misuse and diversion surveillance system that collects timely product-and geographically-specific data.
- University of Washington - ADAI Bibliographies on Substance Abuse
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI) Library at the University of Washington provides a list of bibliographies on substance abuse. The bibliographies include citations to journal articles, books, book chapters, and miscellaneous reports and unpublished documents.
Screening Tools
- Measures -University of Rhode Island
- NIDA Screening and Assessment Tools Chart
- Screening And Assessment - National Center on Substance Abuse And Child Welfare
- Screening Tools for Adolescent Substance Use - NIDA
- Self-Assessment - Sex Addicts Anonymous
- Service to Others in Sobriety (SOS) Questionnaire - Case Western University Helping Others Live Sober
- Substance Use Screening & Assessment Instruments Database - Alcohol And Drug Abuse Institute - University of Washington
Self-Help Groups
- Al-Anon / Alateen Family Groups of Connecticut
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Alcoholics Anonymous - Connecticut
- Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR)
- Connecticut Region of Narcotics Anonymous
- Faces & Voices of Recovery
- Helping Families Help
- Join Rise Be: A Peer-Run Initiative for Young People
- Narcotics Anonymous
- TriCircle Inc Hope After Loss Groups
Locate a Treatment Facility
The path to drug addiction begins with the act of taking drugs. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take drugs can be compromised. Drug seeking becomes compulsive, in large part as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and, thus, on behavior.
The compulsion to use drugs can take over the individual's life. Addiction often involves not only compulsive drug taking but also a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors that can interfere with normal functioning in the family, the workplace, and the broader community. Addiction also can place people at increased risk for a wide variety of other illnesses. These illnesses can be brought on by behaviors, such as poor living and health habits, that often accompany life as an addict, or because of toxic effects of the drugs themselves.
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse