Is Drug and Alcohol Addiction a Disease?
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
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Few people have a firm understanding of how drug and alcohol addiction can affect a life. Many people, for instance, equate drug and alcohol addiction with physical ailments. The truth, however, is that there is a big difference between addiction and most diseases. Drug and alcohol addiction relies on the addict to continually decide to use. No other disease relies on the patient’s behavior. You can’t choose not to have cancer. You can, however, choose not to use drugs and alcohol.
Many people get upset when they here this news because they feel that they have lost control of their lives. Most treatment centers that focus on effective, long-term strategies, however, have found that people can learn to take control of their lives and, therefore, stop using drugs and alcohol.
Treatment centers for drugs and alcohol addicts cannot focus on treating the individual as a patient with a physical disease. Addicts need psychological treatment that will help them address the reasons that they make poor decisions regarding certain substances. Most patients eventually discover that their addictions stem from factors that prevent them from making positive decisions regarding substances. Factors such as abuse, trauma, mental illness, stress, and social environment often make it difficult for individuals to develop the tools that they need to stop using substances and walk away from their addictions.
Treatment centers drug and alcohol programs should, therefore, help patients understand the underlying psychological and social factors that have prevented them from making wise decisions regarding substances. Those who don’t learn to cope with these elements of the “disease” usually have the hardest time abstaining from drugs and alcohol.
Treatment centers that focus on psychological recovery often produce the best results because they address the real reasons that people abuse substances and the centers help patients develop coping strategies that will help them make positive decisions in the future.
