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

A woman and dog standing in a cobblestone street, by an outdoor travel advertisement showing a plane wing and sunset.

EMOTION REGULATION

How to resist everyday temptations

Acting on impulse often feels good at first, but brings trouble later. Understanding these urges can help you control them

by Peggilee Wupperman

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

ADDICTION

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

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

ADDICTION

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

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

ADDICTION

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.

ADDICTION

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

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

ADDICTION

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

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

ADDICTION

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

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

ALTERED STATES

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

ADDICTION

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

Photo of a hand holding a glass of whisky with ice next to a bottle on a wooden surface, dimly lit setting.

ADDICTION

Does it still make sense to call addiction a ‘brain disease’?

The popular brain-disease model was meant to reduce stigma and explain addiction. It’s time to check whether it’s delivered

by Chrysanthi Blithikioti & Ioana Alina Cristea

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

ADDICTION

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

Illustration of a couple holding hands walking past a giant cheque that unravels to reveal a scenic view of a bridge over a river and the Eiffel tower.

LOVE

My swindler sweetheart

I was a pushover with a habit of picking cheating men as boyfriends; then one of them pushed me too far

by Patricia Olsen

Photo of a large cloud viewed through a window framed by silhouetted trees and power lines.

DRUGS AND PSYCHEDELICS

A life-saving boredom

For years, I sought to escape my own mind. Once I became fascinated by it, getting high lost its allure

by Rafael Frumkin

Two people walking through a park with trees casting shadows. A bench is visible.

ADDICTION

The last blackout

Getting sober meant facing myself without the fog, and finding new ways to be gentle inside

by Michael Thomas Kincella

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

ADDICTION

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