Introduction - Addiction: A Ubiquitous Problem

The editors of this section wished to explore psychoanalytic approaches to addiction and substance abuse; though not sub-specializing in that domain, in our own practices, we found we were both treating several patients with opiate, alcohol, and marijuana dependence. As of 2014, one in four young adults aged 18–25 reported misuse of prescription or illicit substances, which include marijuana, stimulants, and heroin. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a nationwide survey of 70,000 people aged 12 and older on tobacco, alcohol, and drug use and mental health in the United States. It has been conducted yearly since 1971. Results from the most recent survey, in 2019, give us cause for both hope and concern. Opiate use has diminished, now affecting about 2 million people. Marijuana was the most frequently used illicit substance, and its use is increasing; 17% of those over 12 years old had used it in the past year. In youth 12 to 25 years old, marijuana smoking is associated with depression and concurrent opioid and alcohol abuse.