This seems to be one of the MOST controversial topics of discussion amongst the community of providers of treatment, those who study addiction and of current and rehabilitated addicts.
As disease:
http://www.medical-online.com/addict.htm
Not disease:
http://www.american-partisan.com/cols/2001/mercer/qtr1/print/0313.htm
Obviously there seems to be no middle ground it’s that devisive a topic.
I’d be very interested in hearing what this community has to say on the subject.
In dealing with some aspects of addiction in the past myself I feel that it is indeed a disease but more along the lines of a mental health issue which can then after time has more traditional physical manifestations.
On the other hand I’ve seen perfectly healthy folks make the “Bad choices” and then go into the physical manifestations of disease, whereas if they merely avoided the toxic substances would have continued to be healthy.
What do you all think?