AIBU To not agree...

[peakygal]

With people referring to drug and alcohol addiction as a disease and not a choice? I know a lot of people will be annoyed at that opinion as I have had many discussions on it but Im looking for your honest opinions on this topic

I self-medicated with alcohol in.my 20s. I didn't connect the dots at the time, but it was clearly to block out the abuse I suffered as a child and teen. I, luckily, miraculously, never became addicted. I don't know why, but I'm so grateful. I know others in the same situation who could not stop drinking.
Was it my choice to drink? Fully? Just my responsibility?
Was it my strong character that got me to stop?
I cannot answer yes to these questions.

More compassion and less judgement would benefit our society as a whole.

Totally agree that there should be less judgement and more compassion.

Have experience of a wide variety of self medicating strategies and it’s used as an easy and accessible coping mechanism. Not the best approach but often the only option for a lot of people.

@sparklesocks Alcoholism is on both sides of my family and I know alot of heroin addicts who I went to school with etc..
Im not judging anyone I just wanted other opinions as I tend to get in trouble for not agreeing to it being a disease

Also being made a widow at a young age 3 years ago I can see how easy it is to want to mask the pain so can see how some people turn to drink or drugs

I’m not sure about whether I agree that it’s a disease. But dealing with it/treating it needs to be as non-judgemental as a physical affliction, because it’s often not an easy judgement

I work in healthcare. When people are 'choosing' alcohol over their liver, when they're 'choosing' an awful death, they are gripped in addiction.

We have to give chlordiazepoxide to patients with a high alcohol consumption, because abstaining abruptly will literally kill them.

Nobody wants to be an addict. Whether they have a family background that laid a foundation for drug/alcohol use, neglect, emotional pain, stress, whatever the reason, they didn't choose to be the person who just can't stop.

So many people drink to excess without addiction. Sadly, the addicted ones tend to only find it out when they try to stop and can't.

YABU it's a physical addiction, not a choice.

The National Institute for Drug Addiction (US organisation) explores the role of abuse in addiction back in 1998. Their research suggested 2/3 of addicts have a history of child abuse, but it was difficult to ascertain if the abuse caused the addiction or was a marker for other unidentified factors.

So, even as a ‘choice’ you are talking about a maladaptive coping strategy to cope with the pain of being abused as a child. Even if you think it’s a choice - surely there should be some compassion? And yes, it is a physical disease once the body is addicted, even if the first instance is seen as a ‘choice’.

There are also quantifiable links between obesity and being a victim of child sexual abuse. So again, a way of coping with the unthinkable.

Addiction is a disease and you only have to look at families where there are lots of addicts - to see that it can be inherited. It is not just an addiction to alcahol and drugs, some people avoid those and end up with food addiction, gambling even addiction to exercise.

Perhaps consider that no one wakes up in the morning and things ‘today I’m going to take heroin and become an addict.’

I think it’s very easy to make this judgment when you’re on the outside looking in.

I would say what others here have said- addiction and poor mental health are often linked. People self medicate due to underlying issues and then either rapidly or gradually become more and more reliant on whatever their crutch is.

But I do understand having limited sympathy for those with addiction at times when their addiction has massively impacted on your life in a negative way.

When I say I don't think it is a disease, I don't mean it disparagingly. I have a lot of sympathy for a lot of people in these situations. I just don't think it is a "disease".

I have experience of family members who have had drug/alcohol addictions. I have also known those diagnosed with terminal illnesses due to disease. I view them very differently.

If they’re not diseases then they don’t need treating ... except they clearly do.

It may not be an either / or situation.

If someone has had an abusive childhood and drinks as a teen to escape their thoughts, is that a completely free choice? It is judging some people by our own experiences. I dont have MH issues and have had a happy privileged life which I am grateful for, I cant imagine what it is like for some other people but I know enough to realise it's not as clear cut as 'just say no' to drink or drugs etc

Of course in some circumstances there is a choice especially when it becomes an addiction by degrees, when does liking a few drinks some nights become most nights then every night then some lunchtimes etc etc etc.

But some addictions are a disease in that there are physical effects from withdrawal and treatment available etc so there are medical elements to it

I thought there was also an element of a genetic link / addictive personality type thing which also implies it isn't completely free choice (as in how it affects people is different)