Substance abuse and addiction result from a complex interaction involving the mind-altering substance used and the individualized biopsychosocial response of the user. This course presents a model that integrates over forty years of scientific research on addiction into a practical and easy to understand model that can improve assessment, recovery education, and treatment planning.

The biopsychosocial model establishes addiction as a brain disease that causes personality problems and social dysfunction and allows a clear and accurate distinction to be made between substance use, abuse, and addiction. It also allows the progressive symptoms of addiction to be readily identified and organized into progressive stages. This information is presented in clear and easy to understand language that avoids technical jargon. As a result it is ideal for use in recovery education with addicted people and their families.

Upon completing this course, participants will have a solid understanding of the risk factors and biopsychosocial symptoms of both substance abuse and addiction and will be able to describe the progressive stages of addiction and the biopsychosocial symptoms in each stage.