Perspective will always make the difference when it comes to everything in life and this is why someone will be willing to argue at length whatever he or she believes because that is the way he or she sees it.
As it regards to addiction, we can't outrightly know the one it is without first explaining what addiction itself is exactly;
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition characterized by an uncontrollable craving, compulsive engagement in a substance or behavior, loss of control over use, and continued involvement despite harmful consequences.
When you critically look at the end of the decision, sometimes, you will ask yourself a simple question, why would someone keep going back to what harms him or her?
The truth is that you will never understand especially if you have never seen these affected humans.
it starts as something you enjoy, becomes something you depend on, and eventually grows into something you feel powerless to stop.
And for some of them, you see them struggling so hard to stop just to fall back at it again, it's really a pitiable state for someone to be in.
When I was doing my psychiatry posting, it was always confusing to me how they will attest to the fact that they knew how harmful these substances are but they just can't stop it.
One of the patients I met was in a really pitiable state, she was a banker who was doing well and was introduced to Crack (a low budget cocaine).
She started off with just occasional taker and before she could know it, it turned to a routine that she even needs to take break to go and take cracks even while at work.
She was eventually sacked and ran into debts when she was borrowing money to buy more and more after selling off all her properties just to purchase crack.
Now using the illustration above, is it a choice or a disease?
Personally, I feel it is both, but, just not at the same time .. it evolves.
Just like the lady above, it was her choice to have a bite of what her peers were taking. Curiosity got the better part of her and she took it.
That! Is a Choice, no one forced her, it was her just willingly doing what she wanted to do and that is why it can be said that most addicts have their struggles deeply rooted in personal choices they made sometimes ago.
Then, there comes the snowball effect of just that harmless first attempt. The repeated exposure gradually rewires your brain to make it be a need.
The body starts enjoying the dopamine surge that comes from each exposure and the body then needs these substances and this is where it transcends from CHOICE to a DISEASE.
In summary, I believe addiction is both a choice and a disease just that both don't happen at the same time rather it transcends from CHOICE to DISEASE. This doesn't remove accountability but rather is just a way of reminding us that the little decisions we make, if left unchecked can get to something more serious where we can't even control them.
Thanks for reading and have a nice day ahead 👍