In your personal opinion, is drug addiction a choice?

Question

Thanks.

Answer 1

Personally, I think the choice is made when the drug is taken the first time. (unless that was forced on the person.) After that, the addiction is a product of that choice, but the choice was made long ago.

Personally I think the same is true for a lot of things in life. I do counseling with people, and they mention a lot that they didn't have a choice before they performed some bad act. A married man who commited adultary with a woman he knew said to me, "We were alone, she came on to me. I didn't have a choice." I believe him. Once it had gone that far, his hormones probably took over and their was very little choice left. The choice making time was back when he decided to spend alone time with a woman other than his wife.

The same thing is usually true with fist fights, marital arguements, pre-marital pregnancies, all the fowl things that can happen at bad parties, on and on.

Answer 2

The moment of the first intake of a known addictive drug is a choice. After that, you're done. Then, addiction is not a choice, but some people are more successful at fighting the urge than others. Its really is the genetic makeup of each user.

Answer 3

Don't be ridiculous. How can addiction be choice? You've answered your own silly question, haven't you? As everyone else has said, it starts with a choice to try the drug, but ceases to be a choice when it becomes an addiction.

Answer 4

Drug use (and sometimes abuse) is a choice. But addiction is not a choice, but a disease. This has been determined medically. Once you are addicted you can't just "choose" to stop because your body actually requires the drug. That's why addicts have withdrawal symptoms when they are taken off drugs--their bodies have serious physical reactions to it, including sweating, shaking, vomiting, etc. Basically, they get really sick when off the drug. I don't think anyone chooses to do that to themselves.

Answer 5

No...drug usage is a choice...once addicted, all the will power in the world is useless...by definition, addiction is the point at which the person's willpower is useless against the craving save for brief periods.

Answer 6

Drug taking is a matter of choice, addiction is an unintented consequence.

No-one chooses to become an addict unless they are hell-bent on self-destruction but many take drugs thinking that addiction won't happen to them, that they can control their habit and stop whenever they choose.

Few seem to be aware that with some drugs, such as heroin, it only takes ONE dose to make you an addict and no amount of will power or self control can prevent it.

Answer 7

Yes, I believe it is. You have the choice to take drugs or not. Once you have opened yourself up to doing drugs, you open the door to addiction, therefore it being your choice.

Answer 8

It starts as a choice but within time it becomes an addiction.

Answer 9

Having suffered from addictions. It amazes me how little people who help people with addictions know about it.
They used to ask people after they messed up. "What were you
thinking?" That's the problem, they don't think. Or they
wouldn't do it.
People have different body chemistries. I always had a strong
constitution and never indulged day after day. Some people go
totally BONKERS.
I think the biggest thing is that people don't like being told what to
do. And then we tell everybody what to do, and people "cut off their own nose to spite thier face", trying to prove we can't tell
them what to do!

Answer 10

yes!!! I think it very much so is a choice, taking the drug.Even if you live in it and its going on all around you. Walk away. The addiction part i think you get dragged into.