Drug Addiction Is Not A Disease Essay

Have you ever seen or heard someone talking about drug addiction being a disease that you must seek treatment for? Have you ever thought about if addiction is really a disease or if it is a choice? The conversation about whether addiction is a real disease or just a choice is a topic that is being thrown around in the media more and more daily. Some articles state that the dependency that some individuals have for drugs is a disease and people should constantly be trying to seek treatment to cure their disease (Nida). While others state that addiction is that individual’s choice because they are the ones who are deciding to take those pills or open that bottle (Schaler). According to Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior, “drug addiction is when someone compulsively uses a substance, despite its negative and sometimes dangerous effects. Drug abuse is when someone is using a drug excessively, or for purposes which is not medically intended” (Hart, Ksir, Ray). I believe

While, others know people who are a drug abuser or a past drug abuser. However, nobody spontaneously becomes addicted to drugs without the choice of contemplating to do them in the first place. Addictions starts at the root of the problem; many people eventually find themselves wanting to experience the highs again, so they continue to use the drugs. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 21.5 million American adults (age 12 or older) battle with addiction use disorder in 2014. Nearly 83 percent of individuals who suffer from a substance use disorder in 2014 also struggled with an alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder. Many people do not realize that by trying drugs you have opened yourself up to possible addiction (Schaler). Being addicted to drugs and abusing drugs are two different things although one is no better than the