Studying Addiction

Addiction – Substance Use Disorders

In this course, Dr Lauren Burgeno (University of Oxford) explores substance use disorders. In the first lecture, we think about drug addiction, a commonly used term which refers to a substance use disorder, and how it is studied. In the second lecture, we think about the biological underpinnings of addiction. In the third lecture, we think about factors which contribute to someone’s susceptibility to addiction after engaging in substance use. Next, we think about some pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies implemented to treat drug addiction. In the fifth and final lecture, we think about how harm reduction policies can be used to help alleviate the suffering of individuals with substance use disorders and improve their communities.

Studying Addiction

In this lecture, we think about how drug addiction is studied, focusing in particular on: (i) substance use disorder as the clinical term for the condition commonly described as a drug addiction; (ii) defining substance use disorder, primarily centring around continued substance seeking and use, despite negative consequences; (iii) the eleven categories used to diagnose substance use disorder; (iv) the behavioural phases of a substance use disorder, starting with binge usage, moving to compulsive/problematic drug use and finishing with the withdrawal phase; (v) the distinction between clinical and preclinical studies of addiction; (vi) the limitation of studies on humans, from technical and ethical perspectives, which mean animal models can be very useful.