So I asked my friend, “How did you put a needle in your arm?”  My friend, recently in recovery, gave me the best answer, ever:

“If you have to ask, you don’t understand the disease.”

And so started my journey.  

This is not a spacial journey, going from town to town, rather a cerebral journey, an empathetic journey, releasing judgements, changing places and seeking understanding. This journey, took years, involved research, following news, long conversations and most importantly, re-thinking or rather actually thinking for myself, the meaning of the term:

The Disease of Addiction

When starting a journey of discovery, it’s always good to start with a definition.  One I like is:

A Neurological impairment that leads to the continuous repetition of a behavior, despite the consequences.

But that really does not cover it.  It reduces the disease to a series of behaviors, not a true disease where the behaviors are the symptoms that are the result of the underlying disease.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine has the best definitions.  Here is the short form:

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.

Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.

The ASAM Website has a long form definition and some really great resources for the disease of addiction.

This blog is part discovery, part advice, part straight talk.  Just like my journey helped me, I am trying to help create understanding both for those afflicted with the disease, those affected by the disease and those seeking understanding.

Addiction is a serious disease affecting millions (Either directly or indirectly). Hopefully by spending time here, reading, thinking and understanding, you can gain knowledge and peace.