Preaddiction & Addiction Psychology
Articles on the psychology and neuroscience of addiction development, including preaddiction concepts, decision-making disruptions, knowledge-behavior gaps, and early intervention strategies for substance use disorders.
A Single Dose of Cocaine Permanently Rewires the Brain’s Reward Genome
New research reveals that a single exposure to cocaine triggers profound, long-lasting structural changes in the 3D genome of dopamine neurons — a finding that reframes how behavioral health technology should think about addiction risk, early intervention, and the myth of harmless use.
One Hit, Permanent Scar: What Behavioral Health Technology Can Learn From Cocaine's Genome Rewrite
New research reveals that a single exposure to cocaine triggers profound, long-lasting structural changes in the 3D genome of dopamine neurons — a finding that reframes how behavioral health technology should think about addiction risk, early intervention, and the myth of harmless use.
Preaddiction Isn't About Ignorance—It's About the Brain Losing Its Grip on What It Knows
Preaddiction may not be about ignorance—it’s about the brain’s diminishing ability to translate knowledge into action, even when consequences are clearly understood. A 2026 Yale computational study reveals that people with heavy substance use histories retain learning capacity but lose the reliability of applying it, reframing addiction as a disorder of decision-making, not willpower.
Preaddiction: When Knowledge Fails to Guide Action—The Hidden Early Stage of Addiction
Preaddiction is not about ignorance—it’s about a breakdown in translating knowledge into behavior. Emerging neuroscience reveals it as a critical, modifiable risk state where decision-making circuits weaken before full addiction takes hold.