Webster 's dictionary simply defines disease as, “an illness that affects a person, animal, or plant : a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally.” If this is the true meaning of a disease, then why does the controversy of drug addiction being a disease still exist? Drug addiction is an illness that affects a person and it prevents the body and mind from working normally killing Thousands of people every year because of this very serious brain disease. This killer disease gradually injures a person to the point where they cannot do simple tasks effectively, provide or care for a family, or make rational decisions on their own like whether or not they should use drugs. Individuals who fall victim of this horrific disease
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As a whole, society often gives sympathy to individuals with serious medical conditions or diseases. Why is it that society judges and looks down upon addicts? Drug addiction should have the same coverage, help, and sympathy as those of any other medical conditions who also seek for treatment. Although substance abuse treatment and therapy is not 100% guaranteed to save an addict’s life or to “cure” them, neither is a the treatment such as chemotherapy which is used to help save the life of someone battling cancer. Chemotherapy may work, or it may not. You may even have to go through several rounds of chemotherapy before it 's gone forever. The same can be said for drug addiction and alcoholism treatment. It may help keep an individual sober for the rest of their life, or the addict may have a deadly relapse after having treatment. It is known that every person is different, mentally and physically, and seeking and receiving health treatment of any kind will affect an individual in many different ways, no matter the disease. But the major issue still is: why would a treatment that could have a chance at saving somebody’s life be
As a whole, society often gives sympathy to individuals with serious medical conditions or diseases. Why is it that society judges and looks down upon addicts? Drug addiction should have the same coverage, help, and sympathy as those of any other medical conditions who also seek for treatment. Although substance abuse treatment and therapy is not 100% guaranteed to save an addict’s life or to “cure” them, neither is a the treatment such as chemotherapy which is used to help save the life of someone battling cancer. Chemotherapy may work, or it may not. You may even have to go through several rounds of chemotherapy before it 's gone forever. The same can be said for drug addiction and alcoholism treatment. It may help keep an individual sober for the rest of their life, or the addict may have a deadly relapse after having treatment. It is known that every person is different, mentally and physically, and seeking and receiving health treatment of any kind will affect an individual in many different ways, no matter the disease. But the major issue still is: why would a treatment that could have a chance at saving somebody’s life be