Is Addiction a Disease?

It’s a shame that so many people push the idea that addiction is an indication of character weakness and immorality. It’s such an unfair assessment that only serves to destroy the confidence of addiction sufferers. For generations, addiction sufferers were left to live with the stigma of being seen as weak, useless, as well as immoral people. Over time, psychologists and medical professionals began to realize there was another aspect to substance addictions. They began to realize how dependence was acting as a disease. However, is addiction a disease?

Is Addiction a Disease?

This very question has led to some significant revelations about addiction. When someone has heart disease, their condition gets better with treatment but worsens without treatment. The same characteristics apply to addiction. Left without treatment, addictions digress. Furthermore, there are components of addiction that lend themselves to being out of the control of the addiction sufferer.

Factors such as these and others led psychologist and the medical community to one crucial conclusion, addiction is a disease. It acts as a disease and requires treatment for any level of resolution. In the next section, we will move on to discuss why this distinction is so important.

Why Addiction is a Disease Matters

As we indicated above, addiction sufferers always had to carry this horrible stigma of being weak. When it became common knowledge that medical professionals saw addictions as diseases, it removed the stigma, and burden addiction sufferers were carrying. It provided them a reason to not feel defective. With this realization, it also served to motivate people to come forward and ask for help.

In 2009, the question is addiction a disease gained further relevance. In 2009, the US federal government passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The new law immediately required that insurance companies cover the cost of addiction treatment the same as they would any other medical condition or disease. Think about that. The fact that the medical community decided to classify addiction as a disease resulted in people getting insurance to cover treatment. By the way, the ACA also dictated that insurance companies cover all preexisting conditions. These two determinations have led to hundreds of thousands of people getting treatment who could not have otherwise been able to pay for it.

About Green Mountain Treatment

Our drug and alcohol rehab center in New Hampshire resides in the Effingham area. We provide a full slate of addiction treatment options that range from evidence-based therapies to holistic treatment programs. In all cases, we strive to give the best care possible. Our success has evolved from our desire to treat each client as a unique individual. For example, here’s a peek at our treatment menu:

• Medical & holistic detox programs
• Evidence-based treatments Cognitive Behavioral Therapy like
• Dual Diagnosis Treatment
• Inpatient, outpatient, and intensive outpatient treatment options
• Sober Living & Aftercare Programs
• 12 Step Program
• Trauma therapy

If you are suffering from substance addiction, you do not have a character flaw. Is addiction a disease? The answer is yes, and it’s a disease that Green Mountain Treatment can help you with. If you are ready to receive our help, please call one of our professional staff members at 866.913.7957 . Call today.