A Self-Inflicted Medical Condition

Addiction, in general, is a condition where a person is deeply engaged in a particular substance, thing, or activity to the point that it becomes unhealthy. Too unhealthy that it negatively affects not only our lives but also the lives of the people around us. Worst will be when it comes to the point where one's addiction pushes them to commit crimes. But as to how people view addiction, some will view it as an illness, while others will view it as a conscious decision. In my opinion, it is something in the middle, and I will try to explain my view within this post.

When we hear the word "illness", the first thing that comes into our mind is a condition that needs treatment, either by using medications or therapy, and both methods can be used to treat addiction, particularly the withdrawal that comes after not consuming the things that an addict gets addicted to, so it is not an exaggeration when people call it an illness. At the same time, studies have shown that individuals with addiction have shown changes in their brain chemistry, including the parts for impulse control. Just like any illness, it also does not choose between people regardless of their age, status, faith, money, or education, and the longer that they are exposed to what they are addicted to, the worse their condition will be.

However, in order to come to the point where an individual builds a dependence on an activity or substance, they need to make a conscious decision to do it. Well, the decision may be because of curiosity, or they might have been influenced by their peers, but just trying it once or twice does not necessarily turn an individual into an addict, just like how most people would not get drunk in two glasses of beer, even when they are beginners. They still have the mental capacity to distance themselves from those things, yet they don't, making it their choice until the point when they build dependence on it.