Addiction

I find it supremely irritating when addiction is referred to as a disease. I would even go so far as to say that, at least at the moment, it annoys me more than anything else. Addiction is defined as "the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma" while a disease is definted as "a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors". I do see how you could stretch your imagination so that an addiction would fit into the definition of a disease but I think it's inaccurate. I think calling an addiction a disease takes away the culpability of the user; it's not their fault! They're SICK! They have a DISEASE for God's sake! I think that is utter bullshit. A disease is almost never something that someone has done to themself. It's something that's been inflicted on them. I'm sorry but anyone addicted to a substance has a choice every goddamn day if they're going to put that substance into their body. Take some responsiblity and stop calling your addiction a disease! Have a little bit of integrity and own your choices. Even the bad ones.