MY BELIEF OF ADDICTION AS A CHOICE, HABIT AND ILLNESS

To be addicted means to be unable to do without a certain thing or behaviour, to be dependent on a substance or activity mentally or physically. As simple as it might seem, the topic of addiction is a very complicated subject to talk about. In my own belief, every human has one thing or the other he or she is addicted to; the only difference is the degree or extent to which the person is addicted. Addiction happens sometimes due to the presence of repeated activity and the extent to which we enjoy such activity, we start, and we find ourselves unable to stop, being unable to live our normal lives without such activities or substances anymore.

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Addiction can happen as a result of mental and physical stress. We feel stressed and go out to find something, a substance or activity that will make us feel better about ourselves at that given point in time. These activities or substances help us occupy our minds and fill our hearts. It usually starts as something we do to fill a gap in our lives, and before we know it, we get used to it and make it feel worthwhile.

As much as I would like to agree that addiction is a disease, it sometimes feels like a choice. You find people addicted to certain behaviours and traits. While others are addicted to substances, others may be addicted to certain behaviours. Substance abuse, like the abuse of opioids, alcohol, nicotine and others, is addictive, and as a result, people usually find it difficult to do without it when they start the habit.

According to an addict of nicotine first hand, comparing the addiction of Cigarette to the smoking of cannabis, in his words, marijuana is easily stopped when addicted to in comparison to nicotine, that the addictiveness of nicotine is stronger than the addictiveness of smoking of cannabis, this is to say that as much as the existence of addiction, some are more severe than the other.

Whether addiction is a disease or a choice depends on the seriousness of the addiction, although I will classify addiction to substance abuse as a disease. This is so because individuals involved in substance abuse know fully the dangers of it and yet, they indulge in the patronage of those habits, a person who abuse alcohol regularly will still go back the next day even after a total disgracing of himself the previous day, they drink to stupor and find themselves unaware of what they are doing or what they have done afterwards, they dangers they put their selves and the health.

We can be addicted to a lot of things, while some of us may choose these addictions, for others, it comes as a serious disease, and they struggle really hard to fight it. They try their best to break those habits and may even seek therapy and other forms of help to overcome them. Those whose addictions are a choice only have these addictions because they make them feel better about their selves.

Thank you for reading. My name is@rishagamo, and this is my response to the Hive Learners weekly Featured Content Week 192 Episode 03: “CHOICE OR DISEASE”.