Is Addiction a Disease?

I have heard it categorized as the psychological disease that CAUSES the person to be so dependent on drugs or alcohol. The reason is because even when they are no longer on these substances, they will always struggle with their psychological triggers and ways of dealing with things the rest of their life. Many alcoholics turn to other things when they stop drinking, this is caused by their psychological disease. Psychological diseases dealing with dependencies are not usually viewed in the same way that say cancer is viewed. Any disease must be treated and addressed however. It could be physically in the person's brain or learned through life, but the problem must be addressed on the psychological level or it will never get any better and that is the point of calling it a disease.

People get lung cancer from smoking, and cancer is a disease. Addiction is a disease and it is caused by the over use of drugs or alcohol. There is proof that the disease changes the way the brain works and it causes stronger and stronger cravings. It's true if you don't drink or do drugs you will probably never have a problem with the disease, but there is all kinds of addictions and usually they effect the same area of the brain. There is a lot of Scientific facts on the internet and I am not going to pretend to have all the answers, but living with a family full of addictions and fighting them myself, I can assure you it is a disease.

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