The Self-Inflicted Disease: Addiction

We've all heard about drug and alcohol addiction and how it is such a terrible disease. "They can't control it," people say. Sometimes it is said that addiction controls the person.
But what is the first step to rehabilitation? If television has taught me anything valid about this, it's that the first step to fixing your problem (a nice way of saying "getting rid of your addiction") is admitting that you have a problem. You have to accept that you are responsible for the difficulties in your life.
But wait, haven't we told them over and over that it is a disease? If it is a disease, how can it be their fault? Type 1 Diabetes, cancer, IBS; these are diseases. These are things that come about as a result of internal issues or genetics.
Of course we know that addiction is nothing like these. So then it's not a disease. So why do we tell them it is? We allow them to believe that addiction is not their fault. We want them to get help, but we act in contradiction to their rehabilitation.
Perhaps we call it a disease because we don't feel like it's fair to blame them for their issues, but as I already said, this isn't going to help them get better.
It could be that those who suffer from addiction have chosen this vocabulary because they don't want to take responsibility for their own actions. It likely also means that they don't want to fix their issues.
No matter the reason, I think that we need to be more honest in our word choice when talk about this topic. As sensitive as it can be, I believe that we still need to allow everyone to be properly informed about this issue.
I know that this may not seem credible to some addicts out there, coming from a non-addict. However, I think that as an objective party I can see this with more clear vision. I think that we need to let people with addictions know that it is okay to admit that the problem is caused by their own behaviour and habits, and to ask for help. Even if you're just a smoker, it's never too late to try to break the addiction. Of course it's hard, these substances only add to your reliance upon them. But you can always change that.

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