By Sept.22.2014HOPEOriginal Source: thefix.com

Is addiction a choice or disease?

Being that there were 21.5 million Americans that struggled with addiction in 2014, I would venture to say that substance abuse is a relevant topic in today’s world. Even more troubling, 80% of those same people also struggled with an issue with alcohol. 8 million total struggled with what is called a co-occurring disorder, or “double trouble.” One question that has raised many arguments though, is addiction a choice? Or, is it something more? In this piece, I intend to provide you with enough facts to make an informed decision.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), says that addiction is hardwired into our brains. Brains are wired to ensure that we remember and repeat things associated with pleasure and rewards. But what most people don’t know, abusing drugs and/or alcohol can literally rewire the brain. Over stimulating our brain with drugs and/or alcohol produces euphoric effects which strongly reinforce the behavior of drug/alcohol use- thus, teaching the user to repeat it. Over time, the brain begins to produce less and less dopamine than it once did causing a person to use more and more to feel “normal” again. Our ability to even feel pleasure dramatically decreases. This is also called...click here to continue reading