This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Addiction

Authoring team

A state of periodic or chronic intoxication detrimental to the individual and to society, produced by the repeated consumption of a drug. Its characteristics include:

  • an overwhelming desire to continue taking the drug and to obtain it by any means

  • a tendency to increase the dose

  • a psychological and physical dependence on the effects of the drug

  • unpleasant physical and mental symptoms on withdrawal of the drug

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2025 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.