Do you think addiction is a disease?

Question

Do tell??

Answer 1

No.

Addiction is a behavior / habit. Calling it a "disease" weakens and dilutes what every person understands a disease really is.

I guess if we shiver from the cold, then this malady is a disease?? I don't think so.

Besides, the quest to call behaviors a "disease" is just to make people feel that they're not responsible for their own actions.

Answer 2

Personally, I'm not sure on this one. And it also depends on which addiction you are referring to. Addicted to what ? Food ? Alcohol ? Drugs ? But since your question is meant to be so general in nature .. the first thing that comes to mind for me is Alcohol addiction. Strickly speaking, to me it is not a disease. When a person has a disease, the conotation is that something is not working right in their body .. something is causing their body to be sick. So I don't consider over drinking alcoholic beverages a "disease" in the strictest of terms. It is like someone being addicted to food, or to drugs .. is that a disease ? Not really. You are not sick just because you have an addiction. But over drinking or taking street drugs over time will make you sick. Good luck ! :)

Answer 3

No. Qualifying addiction as a disease is very dangerous because if you say alcoholism or drug addiction is a disease, you completely take away the blame from the alcoholic or drug addict. No one holds a gun to the heads of people who abuse drugs, alcohol, food, sex, video games, etc., and says "Do this or I'm going to blow your brains out!" Besides, it has been proven over and over again that human beings can do just about anything they set their minds to, so people who are supposedly addicted to anything can break the cycle of addiction if they have the desire and put forth the effort. I would classify addiction more as a weakness than a disease.

Answer 4

Absolutely. An addictive personality is one that seeks out something to blame their problems on (to be less medical) or something to commit to without normal rationalization. (loss of self control)

It is a mental disease to believe you need something that is 99% of the time destructive. It is a disease just as depression is a disease. It is also self-created (you're not born with an addictive personality) and it is treatable in every case.

Answer 5

The American Medical Association called alcoholism a disease because
a) known symptoms
b)progressive
c)known outcome (death)

It is a physical disease coupled with a mental obsession and a spiritual malady

Answer 6

It depends on the addiction. Sometimes it becomes a disease. Specially the porn, drugs or alcohol addictions.

Answer 7

No, no, no!

I do believe that problem habits can be a SYMPTOM of a disease, such as depression or bipolar disorder for example. But I don't believe simply being driven to do destructive things is a disease.

People define it as a disease because it helps them deal with it and understand it. But I don't believe it fits society's traditional definition of "disease." And I don't believe treatment is either helpful or necessary.

Answer 8

when i went to rehab and subsequently NA i truly believed it was a disease but i guess it was also easier to blame something that was beyond my control. I now believe it is a behavioural problem that is within my daily grasp to contain a firm control of. NA did teach me that people, places and things are a trigger and must be avoided when ever possible and that it is too easy to be sucked back into that world. I love my friends but if they persuade me to use for the sake of self preservation i need to run at high speed in the opposite direction, its hard, but it can be done.

Answer 9

Disorder Yes. Disease No. Me+Depression=alcohol

But I can control it when I choose to.

Answer 10

Addiction is more mental disorder. I am addicted to cigarettes, which it has been a year since I have smoked, but I know if I smoke one, I will be off the wagon.