A disease is something you get, by no fault of your own.
You mean like Herpes or the Clap?
Below is not my writing, but good writing none the less.
"Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by changes in the brain which result in a compulsive desire to use a drug. A combination of many factors including genetics, environment and behavior influence a person's addiction risk, making it an incredibly complicated disease. The new science of addiction considers all of these factors - from biology to family - to unravel the complexities of the addicted brain."
Research indicates that drugs have an intense and immediate effect on the brain's physiology. Over time the changes contribute to profound alterations or 'hard-rewiring' within the brain because in effect the brain reacts to the presence of the drug and tries to adapt to it.
Behavior
The most controversial aspect of this definition might be in its behavioral approach. Physician and addiction specialist Kevin T. McCauley, M.D defends this, writing, "the behavior of addicts can be frustrating, revolting — even criminal. But in medicine, the character of the patient is separated from his or her symptoms, however unpleasant or harmful. Patients are not judged based on the palatability of their symptoms."
Put another way, reading and interpreting the symptoms of a disease help doctors to diagnose it, but these symptoms themselves are not appropriate treatment pathways. For example, If a patient is screaming about some extreme lower body pain, doctors do not treat this pain by disabling or removing vocal chords.
There is a general agreement—albeit slim—that at some point, an addict loses the ability to control his urge or desire to use drugs. What happens in the time leading up to this is the debate's true battleground featuring a complex hive of factors, not all of them easily proven or disproved. The foundation of the medical community is on the scientific method, on research and clinical trials; it can't rely on anecdotal evidence. br> Thus if changing the names of government research institutes to reflect addiction as a disease means more resources will be applied towards finding effective treatment options for addicts, it seems like an unimpeachable step in the right direction.
Those who are once again on their high horse in the "It's not a disease" Crowd, Sorry, we're not talking a "Theory" that cropped up recently, we have data going back decades in support, and thank God, treatment is progressing rapidly to fight it.
lol
