subject: The Problems With Treating Addiction As A Choice [print this page] People who think of addiction as a matter of lack of willpower will generally be disappointed. Treating this problem as a personal choice, rather than a clinical disease, is extremely detrimental to the advancement and societal acceptance of truly effective drug abuse treatments. Unfortunately, even healthcare professionals who understand the true causes of addiction can still fall prey to this mentality. It can be very difficult for those who have never experienced addiction to understand the hold it truly takes over the body and mind.
Genetics is one of the main reasons researchers believe drug addiction to be far more than a matter of personal choice. However, genes act differently in cases of addiction than in many other diseases because there is no sole, identifiable gene for the dependence on any particular substance. Genetic links to addiction are highly individual and are often best observed in multi-generational family cases. With both mice and humans, scientists have found that similar patterns of addictive behaviors develop along multiple generations of certain families.
Addiction can also affect anyone, even the most powerful, strong-willed, and successful of people. The stereotype of an alcoholic or other substance abuser is a homeless, penniless person with a troubled background and few close friends or family. However, working professionals and even the healthcare practitioners who treat addiction have fallen prey to substance abuse. Furthermore, anyone with a television or magazine subscriptions can see that rich, seemingly happy celebrities develop addictions all the time.
One important distinction to make with this issue is that while willpower is a purely mental attribute, addiction is first a physiological condition. It typically sets in during three phases. First, a person takes a drug for a specific reason. It might be a recreational drug for getting high, but in many cases, a future addict is simply taking a medication to relieve physical pain or emotional suffering. Second, that person develops a tolerance for the drug and requires more of it to feel the same effect. Third, that persons tolerance becomes dependence. Tangible, physical change occurs in his or her neurons, and so the compulsion for that drug becomes a physical problem.
Fixing this problem thus requires much more than a boost of willpower or a mental adjustment. The damage done to an addicts neurons must be undone or at least mitigated through focused treatment, continued therapy, and possible medication. In fact, one who argues that a lack of willpower is the root cause of an addicts behavior might as well say the same of other neurological imbalances, such as bipolar disorder or depression. Just as we do not expect sufferers of those conditions to simply will their way back to health, society cannot continue to expect such actions from drug addicts.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, dont hesitate to seek help. This is a life-threatening, serious condition which requires holistic treatment for its physiological, mental, and emotional components. Dial the number at the top of your screen for a toll-free, confidential consultation.
