The Disease of addiction

dis·ease:
1. A disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or
system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or
developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or
imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness;
sickness; ailment.

2. A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an
organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic
defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable
group of signs or symptoms.
3. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and
harmful.

Is this REALLY a Disease Someone Has Chosen?

That's probably the most common comment I hear from those uneducated
about this disease. I've heard this from licensed professional health care
providers, politicians, hairdressers, university professors, school
teachers, ministers, police officers, and even the occassional "rocket
scientist".

"They chose to start drinking and using drugs! Now they need to choose
to stop! They just don't want to!"

I'l give you the first sentence above. They DID choose to "try" drugs or
alcohol. But did they choose to become addicted?

We'll take a look at that over the next several pages. I'll be publishing
these once per week until the article is completed.

Jack
April 13, 2008.