Is Addiction A Disease?

Is addiction a choice?

Is addiction a disease?

you tell me

Lets face some harsh reality right off the bat, addiction affects each of us. That affect may be indirectly or directly, but it still affects us all.

Here's why I say addiction affects all of us

you may be an addict or in recovery
your loved one is addicted
your children have to grow up in this drug epidemic
your hometown is now filled with 'junkies'
you trusted an addict and they lied, cheated and stole from you

There are several reasons beyond these as to why addiction can affect you. The fact is, this drug epidemic is gaining attention all over the place.

You may have noticed in my title I asked a simple question - Is addiction a disease?

I'm not here to answer that question. Instead, I want you to answer it for me!

In the end, I am even going to share with you my deepest darkest secret. For now, I'm going to share my point of view so that you can share yours.

Always remember, effective communication is key to success.

Lets gets the boring but important facts out of the way first so we can have some effective discussions later!

Good ole' Google immediately pulls up some great definitions of addiction, disease and choice.

What is the definition of addiction?
The fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing or activity.

What is the definition of disease?
A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of personal injury.

What is the definition of choice?
Selected as one's favorite or best.

We can now understand what we are discussing better.

Knowledge is always power.

Okay, shew. I'm glad that part is over because it's even boring for me to type but it really is important to understand the definitions.

Now I'm going to give you a glimpse into my mind and how I view the situation

Are you ready?

First, addiction comes in many forms. We can be addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, food and many more. I'm just using drugs as my example for today.

So imagine this,

You've never in your life tried herion but you wake up one day dope sick.

That's literally not even possible!

So, it brings me to believe that drug addiction starts and stays a choice. You will only become dope sick when you choose to put the poison into your body.

Lets take my father for example. He died when I was 14 years old.

He was drinking and driving and flipped his vehicle off a cliff.

Did my father choose to drink so much alcohol he couldn't function and then he decided to drive? Or, did this disease take over his body and that's what made him crash? Maybe, addiction is a disease and the disease altered his mind so much that he had no choice but to drink and drive.

The world may never know.

Seriously, people just can't seem to stop fighting over the question - is addiction is a disease or a choice?

Lets get talking about disease.

Cancer is clearly a disease, right? Cancer patients absolutely do not choose to have cancer.

Diabetes is a disease, right?

We will forever classify these two as a disease.

So what about the person that smoked so many ciggerettes, they now have lung cancer. How about the person that didn't care for their body and developed diabetes due to poor eating habits?

Those people made the choices that led to what is called a disease. Would we still classify their disease as a disease or because they made the choice that caused their trouble, those particular people don't have a disease?

Again, the world will probably never know.

Here's some more of my thoughts

Drugs change the chemicals in the brain and create this impulsive uncontrollable drive for more which then some would argue turns into a disease.

Even if drug addiction is not a disease, it needs to be treated as such, through treatment and prevention.

Just as we would a disease.

Is addiction a choice?

The first initial drug use is a choice. The affects on the brain and body are not a choice. Is it still a choice to use beyond that? I'm not here to decide but I do believe that choice doesn't determine a disease.

Now, I am taking us back to cancer. Sun exposure and chemicals lead to cancer, that cancer is still a disease regardless of choice being a factor.

So, is addiction a disease?

Here is my dirty little secret

I'm a recovering drug addict. In 2016, I was arrested on a grand jury indictment. The secret status on the warrent was lifted and they came and found me. Why? Because I made the choice to dance with the devil.

What you gonna do when they come for you? 🎶

I also made the choice to continue dancing. It wasn't until I made the choice in out-patient rehab to get and stay clean by listening to the advice I was given.

I am happy to say that I now admin on a facebook group that my husband created. His non-profit organization is called RAADE (Recovering Addicts Against the Drug Epidemic). What a success!

I now encourage you to tell me your thoughts on this subject. No matter what your thoughts are!

I will be paying it forward by rewarding one person who engages in this with me, an upvote and resteem on one or more of their post.

Shout-Outs to some of my #dolphinschool Steemians -
@markrmorrisjr (the brains behind this amazing project)
@manuelmendez
@mawit07
@lilyraabe

I will pay-it-forward every day I am in this course with shout-outs to each of my fellow classmates.

To learn more about the #dolphinschool project please click here

Please show your support with an UPVOTE, RESTEEM, COMMENT and FOLLOW!