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Definition of Addiction: Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its consequences. Addiction is often characterized by a craving for more of the drug or behavior, increased physiological tolerance to exposure, and withdrawal symptoms in the absence of the stimulus. Many drugs and behaviors that provide either pleasure or relief from pain pose a risk of addiction or dependency.
 Addiction in the U.S.
- Current statistics show more than 50 million addicts
- An estimated 8-10% of the US population are sex addicts
- 17 million people are heavy drinkers
- 8 million people need treatment for illicit drug use
- 6 million people have serious gambling problems
- About 10 million people have eating disorders
- 70% of all violent crime, 90% of all poverty crime, 50% of homicides, 50% of traffic fatalities, 50% of fires and 33% of all traffic accidents are directly related to people abusing drugs & alcohol
- Many suicides are addiction related
- In 2004, drug addiction alone had an economic/societal cost of about 200 billion dollars
Research of addicts active in their recovery shows:
- Crime related costs drop by $8,600 per recovering addict
- Absenteeism from work decreases by 92%
- Tardiness to work decreases by 89%
- Problems with job supervisors decrease by 56%
- Mental Healthcare costs decrease by 36%
- Days in the hospital decrease by 25%
"Recovery" means: to bring back to a normal position or condition; to find or identify again; to save from loss and restore to usefulness.
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