Drug & Alcohol Addiction: Is Addiction a Disease or a Choice?

It’s characterized by compulsive drug use despite its negative consequences to your health, relationships, finances, and other areas of life. These changes disrupt the brain’s reward system, causing intense cravings that make it feel virtually impossible not to use, even if you know it will cause harm. One of the dangerous aspects of denying addiction as a disease is the continued stigma that this attitude brings upon those who are suffering. People who are not able to “will” their way out of their addiction are often blamed and shamed for their disorder, causing them to feel worthless or broken.

The Connection Between Recovery and Motherhood

Policymakers must integrate these scientific findings into legislation and public health initiatives to broaden access to evidence-based treatment options. The neurobiological changes related to addiction particularly affect how the brain processes rewards and stress. The brain’s reward system becomes compromised, leading to a decreased ability to feel pleasure from natural rewards and an increased responsiveness to stress. The disease model works against the stigma of addiction, and highlights the need for effective treatment approaches that cater to each person’s needs.

Mental Health and Co-Occurring Disorders

How much is released depends on the type of drug; amphetamines, for example, release more dopamine than cocaine. As a result, the increased and sometimes constant influx of dopamine means feelings of reward, motivation or pleasure are also increased. Research has identified a number of areas in the brain key to the development and persistence of addiction. In particular, pathways containing dopamine are where many drugs exert their effects. Dopamine is a small chemical in the brain important for carrying signals from one brain cell to the next, similar to how a train carries cargo between stations.

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This is why individuals risk relapse even after long periods of abstinence, and despite a relapse’s potentially devastating effects. More importantly, this is why treatment depends on the type of drug and the individual characteristics of the patient. This explains why individuals who chronically abuse drugs or alcohol begin to appear lethargic, unmotivated and depressed, and report a lack of pleasure in things that were once pleasurable. To counter this, they increase their substance use in an attempt to feel the same pleasure they used to.

Levels of Care

While agreeing that treatment relapse is common, Heyman notes that treatment itself is not common. To answer this question, Heyman analyzes the available epidemiological data on addicts in general, and comes to the conclusion that the majority of all drug addicts eventually cease their addiction according to accepted criteria. In estimating current rates of drug addiction Heyman appears to overstate the case. He argues from cited research that about 30% of American adults have met diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence at some time in their lives.

Research suggests that genetic factors can account for about 40-60% of a person’s vulnerability to addiction. It’s like some people are born with kindling in their brains, just waiting for a spark to ignite. The Vietnam experience highlights the significant role that factors other than human biology and the nature of the addictive agent play in addiction. Environments and opportunities for other experiences matter—they also shape brain pathways of reward. They are critical to helping those recovering from addiction find a new sense of purpose. Addiction is considered a disease largely as a way to remove stigma, guilt, moral blame, and shame from those who use substances or certain behaviors repeatedly to feel intense euphoria and as a way to encourage humane treatment.

• Support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, can provide individuals with a sense of community and support.
• People affected by addiction need treatment to escape its grasp and heal its effects on their lives.
• With repetition, these bursts of dopamine tell the brain to value drugs more than natural rewards, and the brain adjusts so that the reward circuit becomes less sensitive to natural rewards.
• The presence of supportive family structures, positive peer interactions, and access to resources can mitigate some of these risks.

The severity of addiction can then be classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the number of criteria fulfilled. Someone might try a drug or alcohol for the first time because they’re simply curious, or they’re influenced by peer pressure. As tolerance builds, cravings intensify, and the ability to control impulses declines, addiction takes hold. While people who live with mental health issues might use substances to cope with their symptoms, substance use itself can also lead to—or worsen—mental health problems.

• When someone first tries drugs or alcohol, it’s a decision they’ve made to ingest a certain substance.
• Early exposure to substances can normalize drug use and increase the likelihood of addiction later in life.
• The fact is that the brain changes that are the hallmark of addiction are set in motion by the behaviors of substance-seeking coalescing into near-automatic habit.
• In fact, the most identifying difference between drug misuse and a substance use disorder is a loss of control over drug use.
• Both substances and behaviors can hijack the brain’s reward system and lead to compulsive use.
• In particular, pathways containing dopamine are where many drugs exert their effects.

Addiction as a Disease: Exploring the Medical and Social Perspectives

It’s not just about the substance itself, but about how Sober House Rules: A Comprehensive Overview that substance interacts with an individual’s unique makeup and life circumstances. Stress, trauma, poverty, and even social influences can all increase a person’s susceptibility to addiction. It’s a complex interplay of nature and nurture, where our genes load the gun, but our environment pulls the trigger. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of breakthroughs, setbacks, and heated debates. Yet, here we are, standing on the precipice of a new era in addiction treatment.

In addition to the perennial problems with alcohol abuse, the period was noted for abuse of opiates. Some of that abuse was centered in the wealthy “opium eaters” who abused laudanum. Interestingly, incidence rates from that period, before legal sanctions, were similar to current ones.

By better understanding this multifaceted disorder, we can better address the problem—and treat those on this journey with compassion and care. If opioid addiction is impacting your life or the life of someone you care about, reach out to our treatment center. We are here to provide the support and care you need to take the first step toward recovery.