Addiction Might Not Be a Disease

Addiction might not be a “disease” and calling it a disease might actually be harming people.

I was really surprised learning about this in Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter.

"The top reason for relapse was believing addiction is a disease. The relapsers said they didn't see the point in struggling against a disease without a medical cure. This viewpoint can also lead would-be lifelines to give up hope. Other research found that the more a drug user's family members believe addiction is an insurmountable disease, the more likely they are to distance themselves from the user." (81)

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[SmokeandSpirit]

Diagnoses have a tendency to become a scapegoat for our victim mentalities. I've struggled through addiction and sobering up, and I'd agree with you here.

We'll do anything to avoid taking direct responsibility for our own behaviors and that is exactly what keeps us from becoming free from those substances.

There's factors of both determinism and free will in any human behavior. If you never accept the fact that you have free will, you'll never behave as such.

[annieseaside]

If you had a loved one with an Addiction, you would understand much more.

[Stormbrise]

Sorry Nat, I disagree with you here and the premise of this book. This is written by what a non-scientist. Biologist have found receptors on cells that once triggered leads to the person being addicted to a substance. Imagine the corona virus images you have seen. Those spikes things connect into a cell, and the virus enters it. When you smoke your first cigarette, the tobacco molecule has spikes, and it find a cell with the correct receptor and off you go, you’re a smoker. It is the same with any drug.

People that relapse it has more to do with both physiologically and psychologically, take for example a person who always had a cigarette after dinner, and is trying to quit. A craving that is physiological starts from the psychological cue that ‘this is what I have always done.’ Not once have my parents thought, well if it is a disease, then I will never be cured, nor any other people I know have sought help in a program and worked at it sometimes second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, or one day at a time. My mother is going on 50 years of sobriety, my biological father had 44 years before he passed, and the man I called dad had 38 when he passed.

[monarosaart]

Oh my God not only you're a reader, you're quite handsome ☺️☺️😅

[gamegodguides]

It's called a Placebo. Doesnt change what it is.