Quote about addiction

[DonnaMarie]

I'm reading "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis" by J. D. Vance. The author's mother was apparently an addict with many ups and downs, stops and starts, and it started to sound familiar to me if you translate her drug abuse to my cigarette smoking. His mother finally agreed that her addiction was a disease. And this is what Vance wrote: 

"Research does reveal a genetic disposition to substance abuse, but those who believe their addiction is a disease show less of an inclination to resist it. Mom was telling herself the truth, but the truth was not setting her free."

It made me wonder if my personal addiction is a disease and I would say it is not. That would give me the excuse to say "I can't help it; I have a disease." 

Just some food for my own personal mindset right now. 

[TW517]

Interesting.  I've always considered addiction to be a disease, and the "experts" have thought so since 1987*.  I never thought my failed quits in the past were due to how I viewed addiction as a disease or not.  In fact, I always thought it was a disease that was treatable once I got serious about treating it.  I never thought that, since it was a disease, it was beyond my control to stop.  But that is just me.  I can see how some might feel that way.

*http://www.drugrehab.org/how-long-has-addiction-been-classified-as-a-disease/ 

[DonnaMarie]

I believe addiction is a disease in almost all cases, but found it fascinating that the author felt if I identify it as a disease, I might be less likely to self treat. Just a different way of looking at it. 

[TW517]

Indeed.  I always used as my excuse that only 6% succeed. Therefore, since my odds are terrible, why bother?  What no one ever told me was, with the right information and support, my odds can be greatly increased.

[Thomas3.20.2010]

"To characterize addiction as a disease is not necessarily morally incompatible with saying that addicts are responsible for yielding to it....Yes, addiction is best understood as a chronic relapsing disorder. This helps to establish realistic expectations for the benefits of treatment, but it also emphasizes the important role of behavior in disease management and points in the direction of a theory of responsibility for managing one’s own illness."

http://jaapl.org/content/jaapl/30/3/405.full.pdf 

This is my take - Yes, Nicotine Addiction is a disease which is why we will never return to a state in which the Law of Addiction ["Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."] does not apply and therefore, Not One Puff EVER does apply! But this reality can be used to establish realistic expectations for what Recovery is and isn't as well as our responsibility to ourselves to never become complacent in our Quit Journey! I can never (nor would I wish to) become a social smoker but I CAN live abundantly Addiction FREE!

[elvan]

I think that viewing cigarette smoking as a disease rather than a "habit" HELPED me to understand that it could be treated.  As the wife of a recovering alcoholic and the mother of a son who is a recovering addict.  I know how easily they could go backwards and I know what THAT would do to their lives and MINE.  Smoking is just sneakier...I would not likely get pulled over for driving while smoking, I would not likely run over someone because I was smoking, I would not likely be found in a car with a cigarette in my mouth because I "overdosed" on nicotine.  Nicotine is REALLY sneaky...it tells you that it is not an addiction and that you can have "just one"...for me N.O.P.E. is absolutely necessary and all of the successful quitters I know, feel the same way.