I have seen people battle with addiction and watched how much control it has over their minds and body. It is something that began as an habit or just one time action and slowly it becomes a formidable force that is capable of controlling a person. Addiction is a very common subject these days, since we have so many people battling with one form of addiction or the other.
One of the sickest thing about addiction is that, it can happen to anyone and most people are yet to even acknowledge that they are battling a specific form of addiction. One of the first phase of addiction is denial, a person finds it difficult to admit they are battling with addiction and it slowly begins to take control of a person's life. It becomes Oxygen and the moment a person doesn't have a taste of whatever their addiction is, it suddenly feels like they can't breath.
Which means one of the first step in battling with addiction is identification of one's addiction and accepting it's existence. It is like a moment of truth when you have to dig deep within yourself to face your worst fears but the sad truth is that, by the time most people develop the courage to accept they are battling with addiction, it has already formed and taken control of their minds. It is quite sad that there is no miracle cure for addiction.
Is addiction a choice or a disease? Every form of addiction begins as a choice, we are all responsible for depending on something till we become addicted to it but gradually, as its take control of our minds, its start feeling like a disease. Medically addiction can be considered as a psychological disease because it is something that suppresses a person's ability to control themselves and manifest regardless of a person's intention and willingness to stop.
It is like a person becomes trapped in their own mind, you know you want to stop but you can't. Your mind is screaming for you to stop but you are unwilling to. A cage of our own design.
I remember when I was in camp, I joined NDLEA WADA group {War against drug addiction} One of the NDLEA officer appointed to tutor us said, the worst thing that can happen to a human being is addiction. He said he has watched it destroy a lot of people's lives, people with great potentials and he has also seen people let go of their addiction and relapsed multiple times. He said, in fact there is 90% chance that a person that let go of their addiction will relapsed multiple times within the span of 2 months to 1 year.
The fact is there is something that makes a person addicted, the willingness to suppress an emotion, like coping with pain, fear, lose, anxiety or depression. Whatever a person addiction is, it is used as a coping mechanisms to deal with these inner factors, it is only when a person finds a way to deal with the inner factor without using whatever they are are addicted to, it is only then a person will have a chance to battle their addiction.
Knowing how formidable the invisible force of addiction is, it might have begin as a choice but the moment it dominates a person's entire essence, it start feeling like a disease. It feels like a disease but I don't consider it as one because it might feel like an inner force is forcing an addicted person to do things but it is still the person choosing to do so and it is the willingness to stop that can save a person from addiction, so yeah, it is a choice. Calling it a disease is like failing to take responsibility which would only worsen the case.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled Choice or disease in hive learners community.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
Image 1
