RxLink – Addiction & Subtance Use Disorder
Addiction: A disease or a choice?
Alcoholic, junkie, drug addict, crackhead, dope fiend…these are all derogatory labels imposed upon someone with a substance use disorder. These labels assume that substance addiction comes from lack of morals or lack of willpower. When we look at addiction as a disease, we can begin to see people who use substances as someone with a chronic disease who needs treatment.
To understand addiction as a disease, we must first understand what addiction is. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) all have a similar definition of addiction. They define it as a long-term and relapsing condition characterized by the individual compulsively seeking and using drugs despite adverse consequences. These organizations call addiction a disease because it:
Changes how the brain responds in situations involving stress, rewards and self-control.
These changes are long-term and can persist even after a person has stopped using substances.
Addiction has periods of recovery and symptom recurrence (also known as relapse). This is similar to other diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. These diseases are chronic conditions that require continual management. When there is low or no treatment compliance, symptoms are likely more severe. However, with consistent treatment compliance, symptoms can significantly decrease. With all these diseases, there is likely a genetic predisposition to developing the condition and all have identified steps for prevention.
Whether it is diabetes, heart disease, or addiction there are choices in how to manage it but not whether one develops it. We could argue that if someone knows they are predisposed to any of these conditions, they have the choice to take steps to prevent it. Yet, just like no one chooses to become diabetic or have heart disease, no one chooses to become addicted to alcohol or drugs. #mentalhealth #RxLinkHealth #RxLink [email protected]
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