There is no consistent, universally accepted definition of addiction. In the minds of many, addiction is synonymous with substance abuse but behaviors such as compulsive gambling, compulsive shopping, and even compulsive video gaming that do not involve the use of exogenous substances have also been described as addictions. Many view a common underlying dysfunction in so-called impulse control and reward pathways in the brain as the key event in both drug addiction and behavioral addiction. The sheer numbers of people with substance and behavioral addictions has encouraged the development of pharmacological treatments….
