Addiction: Changing minds on diseased brains

I have recently re-discovered a gem of an article on addiction-as-disease. The author recommends a shift of “…discourse about sickness and addicts to a dialogue about health and people.”(1)

Click here to view the article. (2)

Click here for another article that summarizes current thoughts in the field on this subject, including extensive reference to the article above. (1)


I have a question for you. Whether your addiction (or that of a loved one) is a disease or not, why do you care?

I've seen the disease model 'debate' rage for many years. The addicted, researchers, and others seem so vested in whether addiction is a disease or not. The arguments for and against are passionate to the point of attacking both people and their opinions. I have seen the term "disease" defined so many times by both sides that its perceived ambiguity lends malleability to anyone's intent.

Again, why do YOU care? What interest do you have in seeing addiction defined either by the disease model or by its refutation? How is seeing this issue from one perspective or another worthy of your interest (or anxiety). Take a contrarian view: how would a paradigm shift in your belief system change you? Answering these questions to yourself honestly may give you some valuable insight where you may need it the most. Try it.


1. Retrieved August 8, 2007, from http://www.basisonline.org/2007/02/the_dram_vol_32.html ; The DRAM Vol. 3(2) - Addiction-as-Disease: It Is All It’s Constructed to Be, February 14, 2007

2. Retrieved August 8, 2007, from http://sociology.ucsc.edu/directory/reinarman/addiction.pdf ; Reinarman, C. (2005). Addiction as accomplishment: The discursive construction of disease. Addiction Research and Theory, 13(4), 307-320

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My email: betteraddcare@yahoo.com

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