Introduction

You have probably thought about why some people can have healthy relationships with drugs and function well in life, while others get addicted and manage to ruin their lives and the lives of those around them. For some people, drinking a glass of beer or wine is part of winding down at the end of the day or enjoying a nice meal, for others it turns into binge drinking with predictable destructive behaviors and endless excuses.  In this chapter, we will examine some of the factors that can lead to addiction, how addiction impacts health and well-being, and what people are trying to do to help.