The definition of addiction among the general population is "the condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity." Medically, it may be defined as "a chronic, relapsing condition characterized by a compulsive drug-seeking behavior, continued use despite harmful consequence, and long-lasting changes in the brain." This current Oxford English dictionary definition is traced back to Roman law in which addiction was a "formal giving over by sentence of the court." The concept relates to the relinquishment of control by the "addicted" person, identical to how drug-dependent patients succumb to the cravings for their drug of choice.
Two main concepts of addiction involve substance addiction (drug addiction), a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a repeated desire to take a drug continuously despite the drug's harmful consequences. Nonsubstance addiction (behavioral addiction) does not involve a drug. Still, it includes similar behaviors as when one uses a drug, such as pathological gambling, food addiction, internet addiction, gaming, sex addiction, and mobile phone addiction.
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