Is Addiction a Disease?

Question by Craig: Is addiction a disease?
I seem to be losing all my friends to drug addiction. I had a good friend for a while who got real bad into heroin, and I don’t talk to him any more. My other friends are getting really into coke now too, and I’m worried about them. So naturally I go online and read about addiction and stuff because it’s interesting to me. Some people say it’s a disease some say it’s not. What do you think? I think it is in a way both a disease and not a disease.

To call it a disease downplays the role that the addict’s decision making plays in developing addiction, and could give the addict an excuse not to exercise any willpower and make positive changes for themselves. (such as in the episode of south park where randy marsh joins AA)

However to say it’s not a disease downplays the physiological changes that addiction creates, for example cocaine reducing the number of dopamine receptors available in the brain, making it harder for them to feel pleasure without it. This can in turn make the addict feel like a failure and more ostracized, blame themselves and undermine their motivation to change. Or at the very least set up a vicious cycle of abuse.

But then again, is it disengenuous to define whether or not it’s a disease based on what is most beneficial to the addict, as opposed to making a more objective determination?

How do you define disease?

10 points best answer.

Best answer:

Answer by paul winscott
if its affecting your life so much that you are losing those dear to you, then i would call it a disease, a disease of the mind at least. however there are ways to fix it, and im sure your friends would welcome the old you back 🙂 hope i helped a little. 🙂

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