Our old friend Michael Oxley, LPN, joined us as a guest this evening. As we close in on International Overdose Awareness Day, we took this time to look at overdose and addiction from a clinical standpoint. Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive and persistent engagement in a substance or behavior despite significant negative consequences. It involves changes in brain chemistry and reward pathways that take time to heal, if they ever do. Addiction touches pretty much everyone on some level and it's important to remember why we decided it was a good idea to self medicate in the first place.