It’s a question people facing substance abuse problems often ask themselves: Is addiction a disease or a choice? It’s hard to answer this question because substance abuse is so complicated.
Some people think drug and alcohol addiction is a disease. Those people include former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. In 2016, he issued a report claiming addiction is a serious illness influenced by changes in the brain.
Other people think that addiction is a choice. Those people include Gene Heyman, a senior lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Boston College’s Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences at Boston College. His 2010 book “Addiction: A Disorder of Choice” argues that basic choice processes result in addiction. While someone might not want to become dependent on drugs or alcohol, they make certain choices that lead to their infliction.
So is addiction a disease or a choice? Learn more about the two sides of this argument below. Also, find out how Summit Detox can help people overcome their substance abuse issues.
Addiction is a Disease
The prevalent thought in recent decades has been that addiction is a disease or a disorder. Hence the term substance use disorder. That’s because addiction might affect the brain the same way other mental health conditions can, causing someone to take drugs or alcohol through no fault of their own.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) considers addiction a “brain disorder” because drugs change the structure of the brain and how it works. When someone has a substance use disorder, their brain craves the euphoric feelings a substance brings them. Over time, these cravings can result in a serious addiction problem.
The NIH says:
“[Drug misuse and addiction] is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs.”
Other things happen in the brain when someone continues to use a substance. A process called homeostasis can occur, which causes hormonal disturbances. To maintain homeostasis, someone might take larger quantities of drugs or alcohol to experience the same feelings they felt when they first started using a substance.
It’s clear, then, that the NIH takes the stance that substance abuse is a disease caused and exacerbated by brain chemistry. A person who struggles with drug or alcohol abuse experiences changes in the brain that can lead to dependency.
Those who answer ‘disease’ to the question, “Is addiction a disease or a choice?” surmise that some people are more prone to addiction than others. According to the NIH, certain risk factors contribute to a person developing a substance use disorder. These risk factors are:
- Aggressive behavior in childhood
- Lack of parental supervision
- Poor peer refusal skills (the inability to say ‘no’ to taking a substance)
- Availability of substances at school
- Experimenting with drugs
- Poverty
Throughout the medical community, there are differing schools of thought about addiction. Some doctors believe that addiction is a condition but not a medical disorder in the sense that the NIH describes it. These doctors include development neuroscientist Dr. Marc Lewis who writes extensively about this topic in his book, “The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease.” Dr. Lewis claims addiction is a behavioral problem that requires willpower to solve it.
Regardless of what side you fall on, categorizing addiction as a disease could help those who struggle with a substance use disorder. This theory suggests that, with the right help, people can start the road to recovery and treat the disorder.
Summit Detox is a short-stay drug detox and addiction treatment center in Boynton Beach, FL that individualizes treatment based on the needs of every patient that walks through their doors. Call Summit confidentially at (888) 995-5265 to learn about advanced medical and clinical addiction treatment.
Addiction is a Choice
Many authors and researchers use empirical evidence to support the opposing argument that addiction is a choice. Psychologist Jeff Schaler, who wrote the book, “Addiction Is a Choice,” says everyone has control over their behavior and can overcome addiction with willpower and lifestyle changes. Schaler argues that addiction isn’t a cellular abnormality or something that happens within the body itself.
Proponents of theories that suggest drug and alcohol addiction is a choice say people can’t control diseases like cancer or heart disease with willpower alone. However, it’s possible to control substance use with the right cognitive tools. Schaler says it’s important to remember why someone began drinking or taking drugs in the first place and that giving up any substance is a matter of choice. When someone decides to overcome a substance abuse problem, they choose to stop.
Some establishments take a different approach than Schaler. For example, the Catholic University of America believes that, while nobody chooses to become addicted to drugs or alcohol, they make a voluntary decision to take a substance in the first place:
“A person starts out as an occasional drug user, and that is a voluntary decision. But as time passes, something happens, and that person goes from being a voluntary drug user to being a compulsive drug user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain—at times in dramatic, toxic ways.”
While the ‘choice’ argument might sound unsympathetic, it could provide solace to those dealing with substance abuse. With the right help and the resolve to change their lives, people can consciously eliminate negative behaviors and start the road to recovery.
Summit Detox provides those with a substance use problem the resources they need to change their lives. Learn more about how to prepare for residential substance use treatment.
Is Addiction a Disease or a Choice? Does It Matter?
While experts continue to argue about the question, “Is Addiction a disease or a choice,” there’s one thing nearly everyone agrees on: A person can’t overcome a substance use problem alone. While there’s no single guaranteed method for overcoming addiction, hundreds of thousands of people each year break their habits under professional supervision at a rehab or treatment center.
Going to a center for the first time can be a daunting experience. It requires loved ones who are addicted to drugs or alcohol to acknowledge their substance abuse and seek help from an outside source—from people they probably haven’t met before. However, taking this first step opens the doors to access professional resources that will change lives for the better.
Visiting a short-term treatment center is a critical component of overcoming addiction. These centers specialize in treatments such as detoxification to help loved ones manage the drug and alcohol withdrawal process, allowing them to transition into longer-term care to address the root of the issue.
In-house therapy sessions also offer the opportunity to talk to professionals about coping with addiction in a safe and comfortable environment. A balanced focus on physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being is key to addressing each person’s whole health to receive real healing.
At this stage of treatment, it doesn’t matter whether a person with an addiction has a disease or takes a substance because of choice. Short-term detox centers concentrate on meeting your and your loved one’s immediate needs and kick-starting the recovery process to overcome the problem for good.
Final Word
People disagree over the question, “Is addiction a disease or a choice?” Some authors and scholars believe substance use is a choice or behavior that someone can change. Others think addiction is a disease or disorder caused by risk factors and changes in the brain.
Regardless, Summit Detox’s warm, professional, and experienced staff focus on providing you resources to get the help you need to change your life. While addiction itself may or may not be a choice, seeking help for substance abuse is a choice. Which choice will you make today?
Summit Detox is a treatment center specializing in detoxification, therapy, and other treatments for people who struggle with drug addiction and alcoholism. Click here or call Summit confidentially at (888) 995-5265 to learn more.
Resources
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-noteworthy/surgeon-general-issues-landmark-report-alcohol-drugs-and-health
- https://library.utsouthwestern.edu/main/portals/jpull2.aspx?3109
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addiction
- https://deanofstudents.catholic.edu/alcohol/get-the-facts-drugs/drug-myths-busted.html
