Addiction: a disease that millions battle with and countless watch their loved ones fall victim to. But is it really a disease? Scientists have been debating this question for years. Diagnostic criteria for something to be classified as a disease include a set of signs, symptoms, and tests used to create a diagnosis. However, some neuroscientists argue addiction does not meet this criteria. It is not contagious, transmissible, autoimmune, or degenerative. Addiction does not have a list of predetermined, measurable signs or symptoms that the majority of people experience because everyone reacts and experiences it differently. Thus, some scientists have started to classify addiction as a disorder instead. Disorders are considered significant disturbances affecting cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior. Unlike diseases, they don’t require set signs and symptoms that must be met and are often looked at on a scale. So which is it: disease or disorder?
Addiction is often known as substance use disorder and has been included in recent versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is a brain disorder because of its functional changes to brain circuits that regulate reward, stress, and self–control. The American Addiction Center says some people oppose the disease model because addiction is not contagious, or hereditary, and that addiction is self–acquired. Many who believe it is a disorder argue that it can be cured by the decision to stop using, and this is not conducive to a disease that usually requires clinical intervention.
However, substance abuse disorder does react similarly to chronic diseases. Many chronic diseases change organ function similar to addiction. Alcoholism can affect an array of organs such as the liver, pancreas, or heart; opiate addictions often hurt liver and brain function. Unfortunately, while there is treatment to manage addiction, there is no cure. Just as insulin injections help people manage their diabetes and continue with their daily lives, addiction treatment allows people to counteract the disruptive effects on their brains and behavior.
Whether addiction is a disease or disorder is a complex topic that is still being debated today. On one side, the changes in brain function, structure, and neurochemical factors involved have caused experts to see addiction as a disease. Many other people consider addiction a disorder because of how substance abuse is affected by environmental and personal factors. Medical professionals should be aware of how substance abuse is classified to provide the best help for patients. Individual situations should also be considered when providing care as each scenario is unique and has different needs. Using a holistic point of view to understand the problem and classification can help guide towards the best treatment.
“Whether addiction is a disease or disorder is a complex topic that is still being debated today.”