Addiction Is Not A Disease Essay

There has been an ongoing debate about whether or not addiction to drugs should be considered a disease or not. Because addiction creates changes in the brain that lead to uncontrollable cravings, it could be considered a disease. On the other hand, these changes in the brain are not inherent in a person and are caused by the use of drugs, therefore addiction could also not be considered a disease. One side claims that addiction should be considered a disease because it changes brain structure and function. For most people the initial urge to use an addictive substance is voluntary, however, as time goes on the substance changes the brain, specifically the limbic system, and causes the craving that is known as addiction. The substance abuse also damages the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain that uses logic and reason. Therefore, despite a person knowing that the substance is harmful to them, the limbic craving overrides the cerebral cortex’s logical argument against it. Addictive drugs affect the dopamine centers in the brain which causes the brain produces less dopamine …show more content…
An argument could also be made that the brain scans that show the changes in an addict’s brain aren’t actually evidence of something being wrong. These changes could be representative of the fact that the brain, whenever something is done or thought about frequently, increases and strengthens the amount of neural connections there. This concept is referred to as neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change its structure or function. As well as this, addicts have been able to quit without medical treatment and the brain begins to heal itself after a period of abstinence. Most diseases require medication to treat symptoms and leaves the body unable to heal itself. Addicts however, have been shown to heal themselves, meaning addiction is not a