An influential model connects reward and habit, stress and negative emotion, and anticipation and executive control in the addiction cycle.
Read it in context
The model draws on human and animal research. Its stages overlap and cannot diagnose a person or predict an individual return to use.
Research can describe patterns across groups without predicting one person’s experience. Guidance can explain a program without demonstrating its effectiveness. We identify the source type so you can tell those contributions apart.
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Where this evidence connects
The brain can change. So can life.
Recovery can bring changes in thinking, feeling, and brain function. There is no universal reset date, and progress looks different for each person.
Explore the topic Understanding cravingsAn urge is information, not an instruction.
Cravings can be connected to learned cues and internal states. Notice the pattern, create some space, and reach for support; an urge does not predict what happens next.
Explore the topic Stress, relief, and recoveryMake room for what you feel.
Stress and the wish for relief can be part of substance use patterns. Feelings deserve attention, and support can help you choose a workable response.
Explore the topic Daily structureMake the next helpful step easier.
A useful routine reduces the number of decisions you must remake. Start small and adjust it to your life; no routine guarantees recovery.
Explore the topic