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Addiction is characterized by behavior that is originally voluntary and reward-seeking that over time, becomes compulsive, with a desire to avoid dysphoria or withdrawal rather than to experience the original positive effects associated. A person may become physiologically dependent, experience withdrawal, and experience significant cravings.
Chemistry, not moral failing, accounts for the brain’s unwinding. In the laboratories that study drug addiction, researchers have found that the brain becomes conditioned by the repeated dopamine rush caused by heroin. “The brain is not designed to handle it,” said Dr. Ruben Baler, a scientist with the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Showing that a medication can help someone stop taking drugs makes it easier to communicate this and helps people to understand that addiction is a mental health disorder, not a moral failing ...
Throughout history, addiction has largely been seen as a moral failing or character flaw, as opposed to an issue of public health. [54] [55] [56] Substance use has been found to be more stigmatized than smoking, obesity, and mental illness.
The stigma surrounding addiction can heavily influence opioid addicts not to seek help. Many people view addiction as a moral failing rather than a medical condition, which can lead to feelings of shame and isolation. This stigma can also affect family members, making it difficult for them to support their loved ones effectively. [178]
[citation needed] The Moral Model of addiction theorizes that addiction is a moral weakness and that it is the sole fault of the person for becoming addicted. Supporters of the Moral Model view drug use as a choice, even for those who are addicted, and addicts as people of bad character. [73]
Addiction is classified as a chronic brain disorder by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). [5] There are several reasons why people develop an addiction. A predisposition to the addictive qualities of substances may be inherited by some people, making it a genetic circumstance. Another cause for addictions could be the environment.
A way to destigmatize substance use disorders and shift public perception from viewing them as a moral failing to understanding them as a chronic medical condition which requires treatment. Provide those who are struggling with addiction assurance and encouragement of healing, and let them know that they are not alone in their struggle.