In the course of the last 50 years our knowledge about the epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of addiction has increased dramatically. Since the 1980s treatment providers have had at their disposal effective psychotherapeutic interventions whereby insightful forms of treatment have been largely replaced by cognitive behavioural therapy aimed at bringing about changes in behaviour. Since the 1990s more and more pharmacological interventions have also been introduced and recently some new neurophysiological interventions have been carefully tested. Finally, considerable progress has been made in assigning patients to the most suitable forms of treatment.