Addiction Not a Choice

[Chy]

The article regarding Diane Schuler received a lot of comments. This is not surprising because the tragedy is hot with emotion. Who could not feel strong emotion with so many senseless deaths?

The very definition of addiction implies that the addict no longer feels he/she has a choice. People choose to drink, to smoke marijuana, to smoke cigarettes and to gamble. People do not choose to be addicted to alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or gambling.

Addiction is a very complex disease and that is one of the reasons it is not understood very well. It's also one of the reasons that it evokes such strong emotional reactions. In the first article, "Substance abuse: closer to home than you think", the idea was presented that many people do not want to admit to an addiction because of the strong social stigma attached to it. Comments received thus far seem very much to support that idea. Although not the only reason, this stigma is one of the reasons that people do not seek help.

The disease model of addiction (or alcoholism) does not mean that what an addict does under the influence of a drug is acceptable. Not by a long shot. Only a qualified professional can determine if Diane Schuler was an alcoholic. Whether or not she was, however, she still broke the law and paid for it with her life and the lives of innocent others.

Source

[Chy]

ACCORDING TO Gene M. Heyman (Ideas, Aug. 9), addiction is a choice, and all that is needed to stop a drug addiction is an “incentive’’ greater than that of the desire for the drug. He comes up with this theory due in part to surveys that conclude that 75 percent of addicts are ex-addicts, who stopped without clinical help because they got married, had children, etc.


With all due respect to Heyman, these people surveyed may have been heavy recreational drug users, but were obviously not addicts. What constitutes an addiction is the insanity that comes with it - taking the drug or drink and expecting that the same horrendous consequences will not occur again.

Had Heyman conducted his research at any detox center or Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, places where real addicts can be found, his survey would have had a different and more discouraging result.

To argue that addiction can be cured by choice ignores the irrationality of the addictive mind, and places a judgment of weakness on thousands of addicts who would choose their families over their drug in a heartbeat. If only they could.

Shawna Nehiley

[JDSOBER]

Addiction is not a choice I totally get that ...but today as long as I dont do the first drink snort pill I cant get loaded.
I do agree that things like family having children ccan be things that seem to block one from recovery but also the very things of why recovery may be a must or else we lose these things and its up to me today to take responsibility for my own addiction.

There is Help and there is hope today.

I cant - Together We Can