Should Addiction be Considered a Disease?

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This essay will examine how Addiction is defined, and why or if it is recognized as a disease.

Addiction can be defined as a behaviour that creates physical and psychological pleasure. However, this is where the cost to the individual visibly outweighs the benefits. Only psychoactive drugs that affect the brains pleasure zones will resort to dependence of substances. These substances include anything from alcohol and nicotine, to a variety of legal and illegal drugs. Even though there is a large amount of information on substance use for individuals there is not one individual theory that is singled out in regards to addiction.

The definition from the Oxford dictionary describes addiction as a condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with, or involved in something.

Addiction itself can be defined as unmanageable, compulsive and an act that is carried out even when it threatens the individuals health and wellbeing or the potential harmful social consequences it could pose.The word addict carries with it a negative stigma that is born from the perception of society. Perceptions that addicts are uncaring, unreliable and unstable do not necessarily apply to all addicts. There are those addicts who can function and manage their lives in such a way that no one is aware of their addictions.

There is however a benefit of addiction as a disease model. It is seen as a straightforward and basic model to understand. It has slowly taken away any stigma that has been previously connected with substance addiction. It has also helped to encourage substance users to go to self help meetings or take part in addiction treatment programs who may have not previously attended due to the stigma it attracts when using substances with...

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...ange their behaviour. Stage five is when the changes made are maintained and the individual is dedicated in making lifestyle changes to allow this to be maintained. Unfortunately individuals will experience lapses and relapses throughout their journey.

In conclusion, it has become apparent that after looking at different theories that the main factor to play a part is biological factors. However, addictive behaviours have to be taken into consideration within a social and cultural factor. Substance users have to be willing to learn, make decisions and learn how to interpret and process information. These factors have to work together with one another to help establish the addictive behaviour present within an individual. To help fully appreciate addiction there has to be a more integrated approach which will take the different processes into consideration.

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