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Is Addiction A Disease Model

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Is Addiction a Disease? In this paper, disease and addiction will be explained, remarks significant of models will be compared with the disease model, and in the light of the findings, the decision will be given whether addiction is a disease, or not. First things first after evaluating the literature to see the balance between the definitions of addiction, then comparing the advantages and disadvantages of models in terms of their practicality, efficacy and morality having an impact on the function of the model. Addiction is a physical and psychological dependency on a substance, activity, drink, or drug being beyond of conscious control, whereas disease is defined as an illness, a sickness that causes an interruption, cessation, or disorder…show more content…
The model is the most controversial and debated topic in the entire field of substance abuse and addiction. The disease model is particularly strong within the treatment. Miller (2013) states that thanks to the disease model, addictive people can be gained health care opportunity and accessibility to treatment services. Moreover, the disease model has contributed to the importance of biomedical research, so an addictive person can develop his/her quality of lives by having the treatment of disease. Niedermayer (1990) said that there is some kind of advantages of the disease model. It provides medical treatment from the hospital for addictive people. Also, it protects addictive people from blaming, and it diminishes feeling of guilt and embarrassment. Even though there are some advantages of the model, the model has been criticized for many views. Wilbanks (1989) claimed that it takes responsibility from addictive people to recover by own self, and it labeled them as a victim of substances; in fact, it places learned helplessness in the mind of an addictive person. Therefore, when patients start to believe that there is no any treatment for them, they are not able to put effort for overcoming problems. This can cause a person to use the drug again, and personal autonomy can be collapsed. Moreover, Niedermaye (1990) claims that there are many…show more content…
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