Addiction Is A Real Disease
Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self-control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.Herein lies the disease of addiction. At Vertava Health, we hear a lot from people who don’t think addiction is a disease. “It’s a choice to drink or use drugs,” they say.
It Sure Looks Like That At First, Doesn’t It?
Just like many diseases – cancer, diabetes – addiction can appear as if it begins as a choice. We know many things about diseases now and how they begin. Cancer can be caused by many choices we make. Did you know the more high fat your diet is, the higher your raise your risk of getting cancer?
You were just eating chips, dips and cheese sticks when you watched the football games on Sunday. This is your Sunday tradition. You love the saltiness of the chips, the creaminess of the dips and the texture of melted fried cheese. Your team is winning and that’s really what matters here. You’re not TRYING to get cancer are you? Of course not.
But after a recent trip to the doctor, you do indeed discover that you have cancer in your body.
Does that mean that getting the disease of cancer was a choice?
Like cancer – the disease of addiction may look like a choice – but it most definitely is not. Addiction has been classified as a true disease and should be treated as such.
Do you tell someone with cancer to just “get over it”? Do you tell someone with diabetes to stop having diabetes?
Of Course Not.
Just like you can’t “quit having cancer,” you can’t just quit having an addiction. Addiction is a true medical disease and like cancer or diabetes can be treated with success. We work tirelessly every day to help individuals suffering from:
- Alcohol addiction
- Illegal drug addiction
- Prescription drug addiction / painkillers
- Mental health disorders
An individual struggling with addiction can be treated to get sober and then go into recovery to stay sober. This is what we specialize in at Vertava Health. We use our campus approach to offer all levels of care to our clients and meet them where they are on the addiction spectrum. Our clients receive addiction treatment tailored to their individualized needs to maximize drug rehab success. Call today.
24 / 7 Addiction Support Hotline: 1-844-470-0410
One year ago, my son took a huge step in the right direction as I dropped him off at Vertava Health. That decision will change his life and impact our family forever. We are eternally grateful to Vertava Health for helping turn our son around and get him started in a new life! We love our new family at ACTN!
—- Connie White, Mother of an ACTN Spring 2 Life Campus graduate
