I was just wondering your thoughts on Drug Addiction. I believe it is a choice, because we are the ones that decide to put stuff in our bodies.

Well it starts as a choice but then becomes a disease cuz when u take it u fell "good" but instead of going back to the normal line u go "below" it and thats where addiction starts and you want more...idk if i explained it good but thats my opinion

Is drug addiction a choice or an illness? Is drug addiction a choice or an illness?

Starts as curiosity--->addiction----->illness

I am doing reasearch on drug addiction for my shrink class. Thoughts?
I am doing reasearch on drug addiction for my shrink class. Thoughts? Thanks everyone!

I think if you ask a lot of addicts you will find that most of addiction starts with someone trying to escape a mental health problem (depression, anxiety, etc) or physical pain problem. The emotional pain and dealing with life is so difficult or painful they use substances to escape and then become addicted. Lots of people start with partying, but the ones that get in deep are the ones with health problems. Some people become (physically) addicted and some don't. There is research about how different chemicals bind (attach) to different parts of the brain. Call a drug and alcohol counsellor for information, they have lots.

If drugs addiction is a choice what would you do with drug addicts? If drugs addiction is a choice what would you do with drug addicts?

Drug addiction is a choice. you choose to do the drugs but if the addiction part was a choice than things would be better cause people could get off of them and the treatment for the drug addicition would still be rahab or jail cause they choose to be addictied.

I am doing a debate for a phycology class adn i have to debate why drug addiction IS a choice. please help me with possibly a link to a website.


thanks a lot

As a recovering junkie, everything is a choice...I am possibly not the most sympathetic addicted person around though, cause I think 'starving people' in 3rd world countries have a choice too...they could always go throw themselves off a cliff.

Personally, I think the catch 22 of choice is not so much whether or not addicts have the choice to avoid, start or stop using - even if physically addicted - but its the good ole argument about free-will vs human nature.

I am not a believer in the concept that addiction is a disease...I really don't care what science has identified, they could start classifying anything socially undesirable as a "disease" (actually, we do). And I have first hand experience, being a heroin addict for 17 years...it was always a choice.

As for research links, good luck. Now that drug addiction has publicly infiltrated the middle class, social dogma relieves responsibility for ones actions as a matter of PC...Try delving into either the philosophical or even theological areas. (ex. free-will = choice, but human nature = self-indulgence...so, is it possible to deny human nature (self indulgence) and still be human enough to exercise free-will? or, are we just doomed from the get go and drugs are just a single element of our eternal struggle).

Why isnt drug addiction a choice?

Because you dont go into it saying Man I hope I become an addict. You do it for the pleasure of it the high and the next thing you know your hooked. Doing the drugs is your choice. At first its a mentality that you have to have it to feel good then it becomes physical when your body needs it to function. Thats why I have stayed away from drugs all my life. Okay I have drank on more than a few occasions but only at parties. Peace out....................

If drug addiction is not a choice what would you do with drugs addicts? If drug addiction is not a choice what would you do with drugs addicts?

It depends. if they are happy and not hurting anyone, then nothing. if they are hurting others, then stop them. If they believe they are hurting themselves, then help them.

In your personal opinion, is drug addiction a choice?

Thanks.

Personally, I think the choice is made when the drug is taken the first time. (unless that was forced on the person.) After that, the addiction is a product of that choice, but the choice was made long ago.

Personally I think the same is true for a lot of things in life. I do counseling with people, and they mention a lot that they didn't have a choice before they performed some bad act. A married man who commited adultary with a woman he knew said to me, "We were alone, she came on to me. I didn't have a choice." I believe him. Once it had gone that far, his hormones probably took over and their was very little choice left. The choice making time was back when he decided to spend alone time with a woman other than his wife.

The same thing is usually true with fist fights, marital arguements, pre-marital pregnancies, all the fowl things that can happen at bad parties, on and on.