ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses addiction as a construct and describes scientific evidence that influenced the development of the Addiction Syndrome Model. Reconsidering the concept of addiction has profound implications for science, health care, public policy and public health, and promulgating guidelines for healthcare reimbursement. Scientific evidence supports the notion that addiction is a complex syndrome rather than various unique “addictions.” Pharmacological treatment non-specificity also provides support for a syndrome model of addiction. The extant evidence suggests that many commonalities occur across different expressions of addiction, and these commonalities reflect shared etiology: a syndrome. The addiction syndrome can manifest in many different ways; its premorbid characteristics and some sequelae are dependent upon the object with which people interact. The Addiction Syndrome Model is broad in scope, etiological in perspective, and prescriptive in its treatment influence. The chapter concludes by considering some of the implications of this etiologic model for the field of addiction studies and treatment.
