Top ten things physicians and the public should know about addiction, according to medical experts

Today, four major U.S. medical associations released educational resources highlighting what physicians and the public should know about addiction. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), collaborated on the development of two "Top Ten" lists.

These resources, with succinct and powerful facts about addiction, are aimed at helping to raise awareness, increase understanding, and combat the stigma associated with addiction and seeking treatment.

These lists are the product of a medical association convening hosted by the APA this past summer to find ways to work together as physicians to combat addiction. APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A, an addiction psychiatrist, has dedicated his presidential initiative to educating mental health care clinicians and the public about addiction, with a focus on four of the most prominent addictions: vaping, opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and technology.

Among the facts highlighted in the resources are: "No one chooses to develop an addiction; addiction is not caused by a moral defect"; "There is no 'healthy' amount of use of an addictive substance, including alcohol"; and "Return to use is a common part of the recovery process. It's an opportunity to learn and does not mean treatment failed."

Download the resources here:

• Top Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Addiction.
• Top Ten Things Every Physician Should Know About Addiction.

Provided by American Psychiatric Association