New Perspectives Challenge Traditional Views on Addiction as a Disease

Recent discussions in the field of addiction studies are challenging the long-held belief that addiction is a disease. This shift is driven by emerging scientific evidence and firsthand experiences that suggest addiction may not fit neatly into the traditional medical model. This debate is gaining traction among researchers who argue that addiction could be better understood through alternative frameworks

The term 'addiction' has its roots in the Latin word 'addictio-onis,' meaning 'adjudication by sentence.' Traditionally, the Royal Spanish Academy defines it as a dependency on harmful substances or activities. However, some experts, like M.D. Griffiths, argue that addiction is a social construct, where any reinforcing activity could potentially be addictive, yet only those deemed socially unacceptable are labeled as such

Historically, substances now considered addictive were once legal and widely advertised. Cocaine, for example, was removed from Coca-Cola in 1904, and heroin was marketed as a non-habit-forming alternative to morphine. It wasn't until the 1920s, influenced by Freud's studies, that addiction began to be viewed as a mental illness. This perspective gained momentum with the discovery of opioid receptors, framing addiction as a multidimensional problem

New theories are emerging that question the disease model of addiction. Psychologist Eduardo J. Pedrero-Pérez highlights that in the 1980s, addiction was seen as either a chronic mental illness or maladaptive behavior. Additional theories, such as Khantzian's self-medication hypothesis, suggest addiction is an operant behavior reinforced by drug use, applicable to non-substance-related addictions as well

The medicalization of addiction has been supported by the pharmaceutical industry, which sees it as a lucrative market. Alan Leshner of the National Institute on Drug Abuse described addiction as a chronic brain disease in a 1997 Science article. Yet, this view is contested by some psychologists and psychiatrists, leading to alternative classification systems like the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), which focus on behavioral dimensions and neurobiological measures

Critics of the disease model, including authors like Jeffrey A. Schaler and Gene M. Heyman, argue that addiction is a choice rather than a disorder. Studies like Bruce K. Alexander's 'Rat Park' experiment suggest that addiction is influenced by environment and choice, rather than being an inherent brain disorder. These findings challenge the notion that addiction is a lifelong disease, as many individuals recover without medical intervention

The debate continues with voices like Marc Lewis, who argues that addiction should not be treated as a disease. His works, "The Biology of Desire" and "Memoirs of an Addicted Brain," provide personal and scientific insights that question the need for medical treatment of addiction. As more evidence emerges, the conversation around addiction continues to evolve, potentially reshaping how society understands and addresses this complex issue