Addiction is Not a Choice

“Addiction is not a choice that anybody makes; it’s not a moral failure; it’s not an ethical lapse; it’s not a weakness of character; it’s not a failure of will, which is how our society depicts addiction. Nor is it an inherited brain disease, which is how our medical tendency is to see it. What it actually is: it’s a response to human suffering, and all these people that I worked with had been serially traumatized as children. All the women had been sexually abused. All the men had been traumatized, some of them sexually, physically, emotionally neglected. And not only is that my perspective, it’s also what the scientific and research literature show. So addiction then, rather than being a disease as such or a human choice, it’s an attempt to escape suffering temporarily.” -Gabor Mate

My first Dubunking Addiction Myths post was published yesterday. I wrote it after one of my coworkers said she believes addiction is a choice.

Ten years ago, one of my cousins recommended I read the book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate. That book changed my entire outlook on addiction. It made me feel seen in a society that believes addiction is some morally-inept choice. Everyone should read this book or listen to a few of his podcast interviews. He has been a pioneer in the addiction field for decades.

Here is a link to my article: Debunking the Myth of Choice in Addiction

I challenge all of you to speak up the next time you hear someone say addiction is a choice. People die addiction-related deaths every single day, and we, as a society, continue to turn a blind eye. Hopefully, this piece will spark a more compassionate conversation.

Progress.