What Evidence Is There That Addiction Is a Disease and Not Just a Bad Habit?

Question by Ted: What evidence is there that addiction is a disease and not just a bad habit?
A behavior or way of thinking alone is not a disease in and of itself; however, hypothetically speaking, if a direct causal relationship between the behavior and some structural abnormality in some organ could be confirmed, then said behavior could be seen as a symptom. What evidence is there that there is some lesion, or structural abnormality in the brain causing such behavior?

To date: absolutely none. Most of our “science” on addiction comes from the dogma of Alcoholics Anonymous, an unequivocally religious, dogmatic and anti-intellectual organization. Americans have bought into the 12-step, AA disease model of addiction hook, line, and sinker, largely because it is in lockstep with our national ethos and zeitgeist and because of the efforts of the 12-step treatment industry.
From http://www.schaler.net/thinkdrink.html :

“Self-efficacy is people’s confidence in their ability to achieve a specific goal in a specific situation. For example, the more people believe in their ability to moderate their use of drugs, the more likely they will be able to moderate. The inverse is true too: The more people believe in their inability to moderate their use of drugs, the more likely they will not be able to moderate it. These facts are important because most treatment programs focus on abstinence, and they teach people to believe that they lack the ability to moderate their drug use because of a mythical disease called drug addiction.

Unfortunately, the more treatment programs convince clients that this is true, the more likely the clients are to
prove them “correct.” Teaching that addiction is a disease creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: If people believe they are powerless they are likely to act powerless.”

Best answer:

Answer by bissellbeck55
when what you are doing becomes a every day and night thing you feel you have to have, then you have a problem, especally if you feel like you have to hide what you are doing. if in a relationship or marriage chances are your partner would be upset at first to hear your problem but give him/her the chance to take in all you have poened up with to them, and if the love and trust and faith is in each of you , then it will work its self out with the proper groups meetings you may want to look into. If I can be of any help to you please respond and I will be glad to help in any way I can. Good Luck!

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