Is Drug Addiction a Choice?

There is an ongoing debate on whether addiction is a disease or not. Most medical associations will define it as such – including the American Medical Association. Others, however, consider it a consequence of poor choices and that addiction can be broken with willpower alone.

There is much evidence of both biological, behavioural and environmental issues that may lead someone to a life of addiction. We will now explore the causes of addiction further and consider whether these causes are due to poor choices or something out of the user’s hands.

Correlation Between Mental Illness and Addiction:

There is a strong correlation between mental illness and addiction. According to the Orlando Recovery Center, about half of all addicts have been diagnosed with at least one mental illness. It can be argued that those with mental illness are unable to make rational decisions about drug use and may use drugs for…