Thursday, 15 March 2012
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Is Addiction a Choice?
Unless you've lived under a rock for the past seven years, you know what the TV show Intervention is. Basically, an unsuspecting addict is tricked into thinking they're cool enough to get a documentary made about them. In actuality, it's a bunch of A&E producers and the addicts' friends and family staging an intervention. In case you haven't seen Intervention and you don't know what an intervention is, it's just a giant ultimatum; get clean or GTFO.
In the show, we see addicts from all walks of life abusing drugs and alcohol, abandoning their kids, stealing from loved ones, and breaking the law, among other things. many other things. You will hear countless family members talk about all the wretched things that have happened to them thanks to their addict family members, and numerous times I've heard "The drug has a hold of him/her. He/she can't help he's/she's addicted."
This belief pisses me off to no end. I would like to clear up right away that I am a smoker, and have used plenty of drugs in my life, so I think I have a pretty clear view from this angle. Not to mention the fact that I may know more people with drug problems than without. Moving on.
Addiction sucks, it really does. Anyone who has ever been addicted or has known an addict firsthand, know this. It takes your brain and won't let you think of anything but your vice until you can't do anything but curl up in fetal position and weep. And this isn't mentioning the withdrawals that come with extreme cases of dependency. Headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cold sweats, tremors, diarrhea, muscle pains, and hallucinations are just the tip of the iceberg. So, yes, addiction does suck. It is, however, entirely up to the user when he or she uses. Addiction doesn't mug an innocent elderly, take you to the dealer, lift your arm and get you high. Although it may make it loads easier, it was you who made the choices. I'm sick of people getting away with murder, literally murder, because they were under the influence and therefore "not criminally responsible." Drugs and alcohol are a choice you make, and anything resulting in behavior affected by said drugs or alcohol should be your responsibility. These days it is no secret, even to young users, that drugs come with the possibility of addiction.
Even people who smoke cigarettes say things along the lines of "I can't help it, it's not my choice I'm a smoker." Uh, yeah, it is.
What do you think, is addiction a choice?
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Comments (66)
@lifeonacitybusem4@xanga - That's very true.
While someone can "choose" to stop using drugs, it takes more than "will power". It takes a support system. And the ability to be able to overcome the emotional feeling of needing to feed the addiction (which not every person in this world has the ability to do). While not all people use drugs to cope with things like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and so on, a lot do. I would argue that a lot of addicts weren't in the right state of mind to make a fully informed decision in the first place. If someone has a mental illness to begin with and is using drugs to cope with it, their ability to make a "will power" decision is skewed to begin with. It's pretty obvious this is a case to case basis and especially the issue of addiction is not black and white. I think it's better to say that a lot of choices made by addicts aren't willful choices. However, just because it may not be their "fault", doesn't mean it isn't their responsibility. It's a tough thing to cope with. Someone can really have a lack of control of their actions and not be able to change, however, they still have to deal with the consequence. It's a sad situation. People are so quick to believe that everyone has the ability of will power, but realistically, there are many situations in which choices can only help one's life so much. Everyone's abilities are not the same.
Starting is a choice. I mean, if you make the effort to START something, sure it's your choice. However, once one is addicted to something, it is not their choice. However comma on the comment you made about legal issues like murder and getting away with it... 1. I agree with you that they are responsible and 2. I am involved in the law and law enforcement so I do personally know that it is severely unlikely someone would be deemed "innocent" or "not criminally responsible" if said person was involved with drugs. At least... in Florida... one would NOT get away with murder because of drugs. In any case... starting an act/behavior is a choice, but after the addiction sets in... the person is consumed.
I have to say..I don't like the near-zero sympathy you have towards addicts in this post...& considering you - yourself have tried many drugs..unless you've been
addicted& gotten help or whatever...you are in no position to be saying some of the things you said. For example: yes, in the beginning someone chose to snort that line or pop a pill. However, addiction & the reasons comes in many forms..it could be you come from a genetic line of users - thus being able to becoming addicted easier then others & you aren't aware of the fact that because it's in your family tree that you could become addicted so quick; so you went to a party & tried a drug. Addiction becomes an
illnessovertime & people who would normally be sweet & loving, change overnight into people you wouldn't even recognize. People become a slave to their high or drink & ultimately it becomes out of their control.
However, in the case of say murder when drunk or high..the law doesn't negate their actions because they were under the influence. Like drunk driving..they do time for that. Same with murder. It may be toned down to second degree murder in the case of drugs or even drinking because they weren't in their right mind set when they did it, but they're still going away for a long time. They aren't getting off completely free because "they were addicted" or "not in the right mind set" Because even though the courts, understand that the person is suffering from an addiction..it shouldn't give them the right to do what they did. So I fail to see how or why you're bothering to use that as some sort of 'leverage' to further your point on addiction being a choice.
It's a choice to use the first time, maybe even the second or third time..& the mistake that most addicts believe - is the same as yours. That it's a choice. They believe a lot of the time, that they are choosing to use drugs or alcohol & they don't even realize that it's creeped up to the point where it's consuming them. That they're lying, hurting, stealing from people they love & care about it. Which is why a lot of addicts are in denial or feel they "can stop at any time, so they don't need any help." Basically, addiction when it's to the point it can be called such - it's not a choice, it's an illness.
Addiction... no. Taking that first hit off a pipe, the sip of vodka, or swallowing that Vicodin... that's a choice.
@lilcletus543@xanga - This is what I was going to say.
I'm a smoker, and I have used drugs. But I can stop. I've done it plenty before.
Addicts-- They literally CANNOT stop. Stopping is suicide for brains in addicts. Their brain functions on it. It knows of nothing else. It may not be an excuse for murder like OP said, but those loved-ones knew who they were before they were caught in the grip of a bad drug.
@DontTurnAway@xanga - I agree with you, I think. I think of falling into addiction like I think of falling into a deep hole in the ground. Sure, there is some measure of choice in the matter before falling in the hole, but once you're in the hole, it takes a lot of hard work, persistence, and help from others to get out of it. I guess I had a knee-jerk reaction to what seemed to be another voice saying "If you really wanted to stop, you could stop." It's not quite that easy. Not with true addiction. It's a hard battle to fight, detaching yourself from an addiction, and a person must have the necessary tools to do so.
I totally agree. I hate when people say "addiction is a disease." NO IT'S NOT. You CHOSE to take the drugs, or the alcohol. A disease is something you can't help, like cancer, AIDS, etc.
@AngelAsh_86@xanga - There are many choices that lead to getting cancer and AIDS. If I choose to have unprotected sex and get AIDS are you going to tell me that I do not have a disease?
Whether or not addiction is a choice is irrelevant. Getting clean is a choice and if you choose otherwise, don't expect sympathy.
yes..your life is a choice..your actions are a choice, so long as you are not under the care of a facility, a prison, a cult,etcc. you are free to make decisions every day of your life.Addiction is illness, an illness..like cancer that you just simply cant eliminate and never have it come back again.it is a life long work in progress..to always try to make the better choices..with baby steps..all will lead to empowerment..the toxic elements need to get out of life and soon life will become more manageable..minus thos etoxic things, toxic people, toxic places.the drama will slowly disappear and a strange sensation will envelope you..getting used to a more simple, drama free, drug free life can prove refreshing and rewarding.
I definitely think addiction is a choice. It was obviously the persons choice to start doing whatever it is that may be addicting to them, and they continue to choose to do that thing every time they do. Self-control also has a lot to do with it. But even if you don't have very good self-control, you are still choosing to do the things you're doing.
wow, thanks for the judgmental, compassionless viewpoint. i recently lost someone to a heroin overdose so this is just what i was hoping to read. i feel so much better now knowing that he could easily have chosen to stop using and simply chose not to just to spite all of us who love him.
@PocketfulOfDreams@xanga - THIS.
@lifeonacitybusem4@xanga - I will tell you that yes, you do have a disease, and yes, you did make a choice and AIDS was the consequence. But what about a person with AIDS who has a baby that is born with AIDS? The baby didn't do anything to get that.
I agree with a few; starting is probably a choice, but continuing isn't.
I sure as hell wish I could give up chocolate.
@isitreal_no@xanga - me too me too....
Uh.... so apparently I have been living under a rock for the last 7 years........ What the hell is Intervention? I know what an intervention is, but I don't watch reality TV.
@NinjaJodi@xanga - Disagree. A lot of drugs are physically addictive. HOWEVER, all physical symptoms of addictions can be purged within two weeks of going cold turkey; what takes the longest to break is the mental addiction. Though I agree with you, the ability to quit is based on will power and psychological confidence, I really can't say that no drugs themselves are wholly addictive free.
That being said... I hate it when people use the term Addiction as an excuse to continue feeding their habits. I hate it more when people use the term Addiction as a way to avoid taking responsibility. That's just lazy. And kind of immature.
@corporatecrow@xanga - haha I just started getting really angry because I thought "compassionless viewpoint" was adressed to me :p
I don't know if it is a choice. You say you're a smoker. Aren't you addicted to cigarettes? When you have an addiction, your addiction makes your decisions for you. It becomes a physiologcal need. That's why they say it's a disease.
What bothers me is that people don't look at other things as an addiction. For example, food is an addiction as well as relationships. I know of at least two women who have chosen the bad men in their lives over their children because their addiction makes their decisions for them.
Addiction is not a choice at all. Ask anyone who loves a heroin addict. People with the viewpoint that one can quit hard drugs cold turkey obviously know nothing of the drug or what it does. I do not think anyone can understand addiction until it comes into thier own life in some way.
@PocketfulOfDreams@xanga - hahaha sorry about the confusion. definitely not addressed to you :)
I agree addiction is a choice, a very difficult one. Meaning continuing to remain addicted without seeking recovery is a choice and also the choice to seek help for an addiction is a good choice to make. My dad has been addicted to alcohol for longer than I've been alive. He is now seeking recovery and I'm very proud of him. Love you dad!
Yes and no. I think making the choice to start a bad habit, say cocaine is just stupid and a bad choice. But I've never been an addict so I can't say if it's a choice once someone is truly addicted.
@NinjaJodi@xanga - This is not the case for people addicted to alcohol and other seriously hard drugs. And I am not just talking about someone who drinks a beer or two everyday. I am talking about someone who continually drinks all the time every single day. Without the alcohol, they can die. Withdrawal is an extremely physical and psychological matters. Some withdrawals can kill you and if that is not physical, I don't know what is.
I learned this in the addiction/substance abuse unit during my training when I began my volunteer job at the Crisis Line.
trust me, i didnt choose to be a addict.
i did choose to do some fucked up shit to get my drugs.i chose to do some terrible things when i was wasted drunk.i knew doing those things was wrong, but, the thing with addiction is, we will do anything it takes to get what we need. our bodies crave the high, our minds crave the high.i had no choice BUT TO GET HIGH, but i made plenty of poor choices to obtain various substances.with all that said, i kinda didnt choose to get sober. the first time i stopped, it was the DEA's choice, shutting down all those pain clinics here in florida. i was too sick to do anything without my DOC, certainly too sick to get drunk or go buy some other drugs.
i used one more time a month and a half after that time the DEA shut it down. that was almost 2 years ago. today, i have a choice: to use, or to stay sober. i choose sobriety.
the thing is, before i really got sober, i had no choice but to get fucked up. every day. every single fucking goddamn day. in my sobriety, i choose to make amends to those i had harmed when i was active in my disease, and MOST (not all) of them chose to forgive. we chose to move on.
i have a wonderful choice today: stay clean and sober, or get ruin my life and take my loved ones down with me again. i choose sobriety.
read some AA literature. if you read the doctor's opinion in Alcoholics Anonymous (aka the Big Book), it may give you a better understanding of this disease.
I want to say here that essentially every behavior is a choice, whether "active" or not. You have a choice to start using. Following with using a substance is also a choice: to avoid or escape the pain of withdrawal. All behavior is maintained by reinforcing consequences... and although it doesn't look like reinforcement (because people usually think its something positive), escaping or avoiding something aversive is a huge part of behavioral history that people seem to overlook when thinking of how consequences affect behavior.
When you start using drugs, you control them, then you become an addict, that's when the drug controls you.