The Stigma Of Drug Addiction - 1791 Words

The Stigma of Drug Addiction â€Å"Addiction is a choice not a disease†, is a common phrase that stigmatizes drug addiction in our everyday language. The lack of public knowledge about this social problem causes widespread stigmatization and discrimination of the ill. As a result, many individuals who seriously need professional help feel isolated and hopeless, making it harder for them to recover. Although, there are many efforts to reduce the stigma of addiction, false concepts among individuals still persist. Many individuals may describe drug addicts as â€Å"people who are morally weak and cannot control their impulses†, or simply just â€Å"people who cannot get their life together†. Such misconceptions suggesting that†¦show more content†¦Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find they can t do it on their own. The definition provided above is accessible and easy to understand; however, it initiates false beliefs among individuals because it fails to acknowledge that drug addiction is a mental health problem. Moreover, when words such as, â€Å"dependence†, â€Å"control† and â€Å"craving† are used to define drug addiction, it leaves an impression to the reader that addicts are indeed â€Å"people who cannot control their impulses.† Consequently, when we fail to recognize that drug addiction is a mental health problem, our focus is diverted towards the physical aspect of drug addiction. This could cause the belief among individuals that drugs alone cause the addiction. It is essential to acknowledge that there are chemical hooks in drugs; however, individuals need to understand that drugs alone do not cause the addiction. We need to identify and distinguish the â€Å"root cause† of addiction and ask ourselves: what caused the individual to take the drug in the first place? In order to successfully decrease the cases of drug addictio n, society needs to remember that we cannot change the physiological effects of drugs, but we can prevent individuals from turning into them. In other words, the primary focus should be on the individual and not the drug. The Controversial Dr.