The worry of whether addiction is a disease or not has been around for quite some time; and different people have different points of view. Some people agree that addiction is indeed a disease, and others vehemently say, “No!”
So is addiction a disease? Let’s look at some of the arguments the two camps sometimes bring forth to lay their claim.
People who disagree with the notion that addiction is a disease say such a claim is lame and serves as an excuse for an addict to become addiction. They argue that a disease is kind of attacks an individual without them doing anything to invite the disease.
With addiction however, the individual has the power to control his or her trigger, but continues to let it get a hold of them.
Those who disagree with the notion that addiction is a disease also claim that addiction is a choice. People were suffer from diseases generally do not have a choice; they do not have an easy way out like addicts do. They therefore claim that addicts choose to be addicts and to remain in addiction. They lay this claim because, even deep into addiction, an individual can fully recover if they really wants to.
For those who believe that addiction is a disease, their argument is simple: addicts have always been regarded as sick people. They do not act normally in the society because they are sick; they suffer from the addiction disease. Some of such people argue that addiction is a sort of brain disease because it changes the functioning of the brain.
In all these arguments, the question remains; is addiction a disease? Whatever answer you give to that question, addiction is real and it is a problem in our society. We must make every effort to stop it in any way we possibly can.