Notes

DRUGS ADDICITON: DISEASE OR CHOICE
Mary E. Martin
American Intercontinental University

DRUG ADDICTION: DISEASE OR CHOICE
There is a growing number of those in the medical profession, mental health practitioners, substance abuse counselors, and even current and former drug addicts that support the notion that drug addiction is a medical disease, supported by a clearly defined diagnosis, list of symptoms, and specific treatment and not just a behavioral problem, isolated to one or many bad choices of the weak-willed. The science behind addiction has grown over the last 20 years, and with these new medical facts, combined with better understanding of the nature of addiction, along with the knowledge that recovery is possible, it is becoming widely accepted fact that drug addiction is a disease and not a choice. Even with growing data, still today, there are some who feel addicts can just choose to quit using, and this, in itself would fix the problem. This idea of better moral living will alleviate the presence of addiction is losing ground, and never before has there been more evidence showing drug addiction as medical disease. “While it is true that faced with imminent threat, most addicts can temporarily stop using. It does not change the physiological processes affecting the addiction from within” (McKauley, 2009, Para. 4).

This idea of better moral living will alleviate the presence of addiction is losing ground on the medical side, and never before has there been more scientific evidence showing drug addiction as medical disease. In simple terms, a disease is any medical condition that prevents the body from functioning normally. Understanding how dopamine affects the brain is the basis for much of the scientific data supporting drug addiction as a medical disease. Dopamine is a human’s natural way of ensuring humans meet their hierarch of needs and basic pleasures are met. Unhealthy actions, like using drugs, can mess up the natural release of dopamine, causing the body to need or want more to survive. This change in what the brain needs, or thinks it needs to be happy or pleasured, is a measurable change. And this change in a person’s brain chemistry is the basis for most all the scientific evidence today showing addiction is a medical disease diagnosed by medical professionals, treated by medical and mental health professionals and where recovery is also measured in a scientific manner.
History has shown that many have given little importance to any scientific evidence suggesting addiction is more than just a series of bad choices.. A complete diagnosis often includes assessment by multiple professionals, such as a general practitioner, psychiatrist, and psychologist. Individuals may undergo assessment and testing not only for drug addiction, but also other conditions that could contribute to or affect the addiction, such as medical conditions and mental health disorders. This understanding of a person’s background, hereditary influences and/or presence of mental health disorders are essential in the diagnosis process. This is where the importance of drug counseling and therapy also come in in order to treat addiction as a whole disease. It’s simply not enough to only treat the symptoms of addiction and hope for it to just go away.
Treating the Disease
Major advancements have been made in addiction science to help create treatment for those who seek it. Helping people deal with withdrawal symptoms, as well as the psychological effects, and other medical assistance has become more accessible to millions of Americans, but it doesn’t end there. Most people who are suffering from addiction are dealing with co-occurring disorders. This often means that a patient is facing mental illness as well as a substance use disorder. This is where the importance of drug counseling and therapy also come in in order to treat addiction as a whole disease. It’s simply not enough to only treat the symptoms of addiction and hope for it to just go away.
One of the biggest struggles people face is the stigma that surrounds the disease of addiction. When an individual is able to combat the negative views of people who are dealing with substance use disorders, seeking help for these issues won’t fill so many people with shame and guilt. People who are sick deserve to seek medical treatment without being ridiculed or having their character put into question. Once we start treating addiction as a whole as the disease it is, we will finally be able to start combating the toll it’s taking on many innocent lives.
Write your 3rd body paragraph here. Be sure to support your opinions/positions with properly formatted APA in-text source information