Addiction: Disease or Not?

I want to tell you, the reader of this post, that it does not matter if it is a disease or not because it, addiction, is killing people every single day.

I speak at schools around New England about addiction and I hear horror stories of kids smoking weed, taking pills, drinking, and doing other things that harm not only themselves, but their very own future as well. This must be stopped, disease or not, because once addiction (persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful) sets in, it is much harder to conquer and control…

So please tell me this. Why do we put any emphasison on whether it is a disease or not when moms and dads are burying their beautiful children? Why must people banter back and forth about it being a “choice” and not a phenomenon called addiction? Why must it be compared to cancer or diabetes and that those are “real” disease?? WHO CARES ABOUT ALL OF THAT????

So moving forward, I ask every single one of you, whether you think it is a choice or not, whether you think it is a disease or not, or whatever you think it is, to band together to stop this or at least curb it. I have lost so many friends, good friends from this and my heart has had enough. I have seen moms and dads crying because their son/daughter is in a casket, I have seen children looking at their mom/dad dead in a casket, and even an 8 year old boy who found his father dead with a needle in his arm…ENOUGH NEGATIVITY PEOPLE, LETS TALK SOLUTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We, you and I. know someone that is addicted and/or someone who died ad that is a fact…LETS START BEING COMPASSIONATE FOR THE SURVIVORS OF THE PEOPLE WHO DIED BECAUSE WHEN THEY READ THAT IT WAS A “STUPID” CHOICE, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES THEM FEEL??????

Thanks for reading and lets be a team of individuals that come together as an army to fight this instead of an individual who has nothing to say except for negativity!!!

Regards,

Rich Barnes