“It is common for clinicians, researchers, and public pol- icymakers to describe certain drugs or objects (e.g., games of chance) as “addictive,” tacitly implying that the cause of addiction resides in the properties of drugs or other objects. Conventional wisdom encourages this view by treating dif- ferent excessive behaviors, such as alcohol dependence and pathological gambling, as distinct disorders.”
“Evidence supporting a broader conceptualization of addiction is emerging. For example, neurobiological research suggests that addictive disorders might not be independent: each outwardly unique addiction disorder might be a distinctive expression of the same underlying addiction syndrome.”