Ethical Issues in Diagnosing and Treating Addiction
Although addiction to alcohol and drugs has long been recognized as a medical condition, treating it successfully has continued to elude doctors and health experts. Recently an array of compulsive behaviors—ranging from gambling and video game playing to sex —has been added to the list of conditions medically defined as addictions. The January 2008 issue examines traditional and newly classified compulsive behaviors and asks specifically how physicians can improve their recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of addiction.