Is Addiction A Choice Or Disease?

Can we really say that addiction is a disease? When it comes to addiction, it would seem that people have a clear choice as to whether they continue to use a substance or not. No one is holding a gun to their head and making them do something against their will. Many of us go about our lives every day, choosing not to drink or use illegal substances. At the same time, many people have claimed that drug addiction and alcoholism are diseases.

As Christians, it may be hard to reconcile the thought of ownership over actions and yet call addiction a disease, leaving someone inculpable. Yet, we only need to look to scripture to find our answer to this paradox. 

In Luke 5:31-32, Jesus equates sin to sickness, saying,

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Much like sicknesses that can be lighter or more severe, addictions also exist on a spectrum. Someone beginning substance abuse is unaware of a problem and can make deliberate choices. As the habit deepens and addiction arises, their ability to choose disappears. Once someone is addicted, it could be comparable to stage 4 cancer with no avenues left for remedy. This enslavement is the power of sin; it is a disease.

The Effects of Addiction

It’s important to remember that God has created us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Addiction touches all three aspects of our humanity. Addiction is a disease that can be passed on emotionally from trauma, embodied spiritually, and manifested physically. This enslavement that began as a choice eventually creates physical dependencies. 

People who have experienced trauma early in life are more likely to try drugs and become addicted. Evidence shows that childhood trauma affects the neural structure and function of the brain. These children are then more likely to develop psychiatric disorders and major depression. In surveys of adolescents receiving treatment for substance abuse, more than 70% of patients had a history of trauma exposure.

When an individual starts using an illicit drug, it has a physical impact. The human brain rewards us when we do something pleasurable, whether eating, working out, or drinking alcohol. These things trigger the same system which sends dopamine through our bodies. Drugs do the same thing. Over time, the body cannot create the chemicals necessary for normal brain function, which pushes the addict back to their substance of choice. 

On a spiritual level, shame becomes a stronghold for addiction and sin to breed. As the addict delves further into bad habits, the shame, and fear of being seen and known become barriers to getting help. The individual becomes fearful of repercussions, so they will continue to hide. Hiding is common to man, and people have been doing this since the garden when Adam and Eve hid from God after eating from the tree that they were forbidden. This fear and shame then act as another layer to prevent the sick individual from getting help. 

Once we understand that sin is a spiritual disease with physical impacts, it becomes easier to understand the addict. Spiritual conditions act much like physical ones. There are many different forms, some are acute, and some are chronic. Some are severe, and some are innocuous. Both can be contagious. Knowing what kind of disease someone has is essential for how we approach the struggling individual. 

How to Discern the Heart of an Addict

As Christians, we should aim to think like God when trying to understand addiction. We need to move beyond surface actions to understand struggling people’s hearts. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God says, 

“For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Our God is never as concerned with the “what” as the “why.” Therefore, we need to look at motivation to understand why someone makes poor or potentially life-threatening decisions. 

When we think about a loved one struggling with addiction, the words “I can’t stop” convey something different from “I won’t stop.” The former shows something beyond their willpower, while the latter intends to pursue. Though an addict may never use these exact words, listening to the language is essential to discern an individual’s motivations.

Even though the addict may be difficult to love as they repeatedly make empty promises and cause pain to those around them, it is important to remember that people are a summation of both good and bad. We should never boil one person down to one character flaw. Like drawing a caricature, all you can see is the person’s flaws. In the same way, we need to look beyond the hurtful actions of the addict and see how sin has affected them and where their heart is, even if their actions sometimes show otherwise. 

What Does Healing Look Like in Action?

The healing process is not straightforward, just like physical ailments don’t always have a clear solution. However, Christ models the picture of healing by going to the cross for our sins. So, whatever the process looks like, we can be sure that it is a difficult path. 

To the extent that we understand the depth of how Christ loved us even while we were his enemies is the degree to which we will be willing to die for others. However, those helping the addict need to be gentle and, at the same time, wise. The helper needs to know when the relationship has become unhealthy and when to find outside help. 

Thankfully, we live in a community, so the weight should never fall on any individual to carry such a burden. As we do life together, we help each other as a family in both good and bad. 

This desire to support individuals in the mess of life is at the heart of 8 Oaks. We want to walk alongside you and your loved ones in whatever situation you may find yourselves. We desire to see people fully restored physically, emotionally, and spiritually so that they can be the person that God has created them to be. To learn more, please visit our main page at www.the8oaks.com.

Sources:

Khoury, L., Tang, Y. L., Bradley, B., Cubells, J. F., & Ressler, K. J. (2010). Substance use, childhood traumatic experience, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an urban civilian population. Depression and anxiety, 27(12), 1077–1086. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20751