Addiction

Painting of a vintage green wine glass on a beige background.

How to drink less alcohol

You don’t have an addiction, but you know you’re drinking too much. Learn to regain control and benefit your mind and body

by Michael Levy

Photo of people dining in a dimly lit restaurant, blurred flowers in foreground, focus on background diners at a table.

How to know if you’re addicted

Do you feel uneasy about your drinking or drug use? Recognising the signs of addiction can be the first step to recovery

by Rebecca E Williams

A man watches a film on a monitor, showing a close-up of a scene with two people.

If you think you’ve got a porn addiction, you probably haven’t

People with addictions see relationships, health and careers fall apart. Most people who watch porn don’t meet this definition

by Joshua Grubbs

Black-and-white photo of a woman smoking at an outdoor cafe at night with tables, a bicycle and streetlights in the background.

You can want things you don’t like and like things you don’t want

The distinct neurochemistry of wanting and liking is helping to make sense of addiction – and more everyday behaviours

by Shayla Love

Photo of a person outdoors smoking, silhouetted against the sky with visible smoke and surrounding greenery.

Mental illness and substance use: genes show a two-way street

Why are smoking, alcohol and cannabis use linked to mental illness? The answer is complex but valuable for mental health

by Jorien Treur

Two people squatting next to large bins in an alley named Bothwell Lane, with old brick buildings in the background.

Recognising the rhythm in addiction offers new ways to escape it

Addiction is not just about biochemistry – it’s also about time, and its hamster-wheel rhythm can suggest other treatments

by Eana Meng & Johannes Lenhard

Painting of a man in a hat leaning on a table with a wine bottle and fruit, set against a brown background.

How to talk about someone’s substance use

Worried about someone’s drinking or drug use, but not sure what to say? There’s a counselling approach that can help

by K Michelle Peavy

Photo of a glass of beer on a reflective surface with blurred colourful lights in the background.

Here’s to my lovely, incandescent relationship with alcohol

Liquid gold, social pass, window on to the past, filter of life experience: my love affair with alcohol has no downside

by Anandi Mishra

A cocktail in a coupe glass with an orange twist on a wooden table in front of a dark, tufted lounge seating

My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition

In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction

by Rebecca Lester

A person leaning against a wall under a light in a dimly lit alley with graffiti-covered walls.

The shame felt in addiction often isn’t toxic – it’s healing

The push to take shame out of recovery is well-meaning. But it overlooks the power this emotion has to motivate change

by Owen Flanagan

Photo of a person in a dim room holding a smartphone and a credit card, phone screen showing a betting app.

How to control your gambling

What’s fun at first can all too easily get out of hand. Learn the warning signs and use these tips to rein things in

by Luke Clark

Black and white photo of two people close together in water, eyes closed and relaxed.

Stories of mothers in crisis form a poignant portrait of unconditional love

Directed by Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell

A prescription pill bottle spilling tablets onto an open book with highlighted text.

Professor’s little helper

Once I was prescribed Ritalin, I couldn’t do without it. How had I functioned before I got my pharmaceutical wings?

by Gordon Marino