Don’t blame me. I’m sick.
Here is another article on gambling. Can gambling addiction be considered a
disease? Does this author do a good job
of assessing the pluses and minuses of considering an addiction a disease? Does it depend on whether you are the person
with the addiction or the person who is trying to help someone get over the
addiction?
I agree with the author of the article when he says that viewing addiction as some disease within could cause you to think of yourself as the victim. In the short-term view, it’s good. You start to feel better about yourself, become more confident, and maybe even get back on your feet. But for those that were drowning in their addiction, I don’t think they can resist another short dip just like that. And then another and another and another. And pretty soon they’re just where they started, only worse. Now they have a perfect excuse, an alibi with a scientific foundation. “I’m not the problem here, it’s not my fault! Look at the facts, look at science!” Maybe this would not be everyone’s reaction: strong-willed people would not care whose “fault” it was, but just look at the consequences. Unfortunately, I think that most “victims” of addiction would not be classified as strong-willed people.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it seems that the author has not actually looked at the facts. The truth is genetics does play a significant role in addiction. Exposures to drugs and high amounts of certain hormones in the body are capable of affecting transcription factors and thus changing the epigenetic status of various genes in the genome. However, it is also said that these genetic factors account for “only” 50%-60% of the cause for the addiction. The remaining percentage is due to the individuals own weak will and inability to cope. Thus, the responsibility should remain with the victim.
I want to conclude by saying that addiction should definitely be considered a disease. It is precisely because it is not conveyed specifically as a disease that people feel helpless against it. They feel that it is something different, something unexplainable that exists only within the imagination of the victim, or, in the author’s own words, “a demonic being that overrides free will and makes me do these terrible things.“ But that’s not true. Do we think that diabetes is caused by a demon? No. If you go to the doctor and are told that you have heart disease (which is a result of both hereditary factors and the poor lifestyle decisions), you do not lie on your couch all day, refuse to exercise and continue consuming unhealthy food. You get fired up. You try to get better. It should be the same for addiction.
I think Janka very well conveyed the ideal mixture of the two approaches to addictions. As I have already written in my comment, I believe a professional help is a must should the fight be successful. Exceptional cases, like the one which was described in the article, when the man suddenly sobered from his addiction when he married and had kids, are of course bright examples of how exercising own will is the best cure. However, by no means can we deduce a treatment based on such cases. Willpower is what should come right after the medical treatment, and only through synthesis of these two, I think, can we achieve the most efficient way to help addicted people.
DeleteThus, Janka is right, even if we accept the model of addiction-as-disease, it is no ordinary disease, rather, it is similar to heart diseases, in which the patient's active participation in the treatment is just as important as the actual professional care.
There are many people who enjoy gambling no matter whether it is betting on a horse or playing poker or roulette. Most people who gamble do not have a problem, but after some time some of them lose control of their gambling. This stage is called the addiction. Any addiction, for example to drugs or alcohol, is considered to be a health psychical problem. It is a problem in the person’s brain and psychic. These people need to be under control and treated in order to avoid even worse stages of addiction. According to this, I definitely argue that gambling addiction is a disease, which needs to be treated by medical professionals.
ReplyDeleteUsually, people who are addicted do not realize the state of addiction until they are bombarded by this issue from their surrounding family and friends. To accept this, they first need to be convinced. Since the family and friends realize it faster, they should be the help to persuade the addicted people to be treated medically. It requires a lot of effort because it is hard to treat psychical problems.
In my opinion, author’s technique to access the pluses and minuses of considering an addiction a disease is effective. It allows the reader to create a more objective opinion on the gambling addiction, which is also from different perspectives. The author uses relevant examples, which I think has a high value in the assessment. He also mentions some professionals who support his arguments. I completely agree that “the treatment in the world isn’t going to remove the addict from temptation.”
I mostly agree with Sabina´s comment, however, one thing caught my eye. I do not completely agree with the statement that the people who are addicted to not realize their condition. I think that they realize it maybe even more than we do and it drives them crazy. They feel so helpless and useless, because they cannot fight their own mind. I absolutely agree with Nina that there is a difference between realizing the truth and admitting it. The person often realizes that he messed up his life, he is disappointed from himself, and he even sees how his family is disappointed from him. However, he often realizes his situation but he is no table to admit it and receive professional help.
DeleteFor one, I am a person who believes in a power of self. It is not that I would be an atheist, but I really do not like concepts such as determinism, which suggests that there is a higher entity controlling our lives. I like to think that all the power over my life lies in my own two hands. Thus, when I screw something, I cannot put responsibility on anyone other than myself. In my opinion, this allows me to have a very rational view of the world, without feeling a need to pity myself for the misfortune that happens to me.
ReplyDeleteInitially, addiction-as-disease appealed to me, because it would lower the hate addicted people receive. However, when I read more into the article, I too understood the flaws within this concept. Firstly, it really removes a sense of responsibility from the player himself. Being a victim means that it is not my fault, but that I have been put into that state by a higher entity, which I could not oppose. If on one hand, it helps these people to understand that they need an external help, it is great. If on the other hand, these people stop having barriers because they no longer think they are morally defected, it may worsen their condition, just as was described in the article.
Secondly, self-loathing is a useful thing when used cautiously. I identify with the author’s point of view that it is exactly when we hate ourselves for what we did that we, at least, stop for a while and think about it. There were plenty of situations after which I too, banged my head against the wall and thought how stupid I had been. This way, I could not be happy with myself, and it was this guilty feeling that made me reevaluate and embrace my moral principles. Although it may not last forever, and it regretfully did not in my case, I always remembered what I had promised myself, and breaking that promise made me feel even worse. Slowly piling this hate, will, I believe, one day result in that I will no longer be able to live with it, and will seek either a professional help, or stack enough willpower to change it by my own two hands.
At the end of the day, it is always up to the addicted. To seek help from an own initiative is already a sign of a strong will. How many people like this exist, though? To loathe self requires a bit of self-reflection, which is unfortunately a very rare vice in general. Still, I share an opinion that the addiction is a heinous condition necessary to be treated professionally. Should the addiction-as-disease make society look at these people as of someone in need of help, it could potentially bring more addicted ones to the specialized centers, thus serving its purpose. In that case, contrary to what I personally uphold, I would be the first to spread these news.
@ Sabi
ReplyDeleteLike Sabi, I think that addicion is a most definately considered a disease. The disease model of addiction describes an addiction as a disease involving biological, neurological or genetic sources of origin. There are factors that influence the risk of a person being addicted, however it definitely does not mean the person got “innocently“ addicted. I think that alcohol or even gambling becomes a problem when the person is not in control of when to stop.
On the other hand, I don’t exactly agree with Sabi’s opinion that people with addiction do not realize they are actually addicted. I think addicts realize their addiction, but have problems admitting it to themselves and others. There is a difference in realizing the truth, and admitting it. One of our family members is an addict, and has been and addict from when he was a teenager. He has been strongly addicted to alcohol, drugs and currently is addicted to sleeping pills. Therefore, I have seen situations that were horrifying and I will never forget. I have noticed that the anonymous person does realize that he is an addict, but is absolutely helpless about it. There is nothing in the world that would stop him from his addiction. The sad reality about addicts should teach us a lesson. People should take prevention measures when one of the symptoms of addiction detectable.
Firstly, we should take into consideration that there are two different types of addiction. The first type is psychical addiction, when the individual thinks that he desperately needs something and after he accepts the fact that he will have it, he is not able to imagine the situation of not getting it. This type can be controlled to some extent with strong will, when you repress your urges. However, this is the less serious type of addiction. The second type is physical addiction, when it is not just our mind, which needs something, but it is mostly our body. At this point it is much harder to control one self, and when you find yourself in this condition you should definitely seek professional help.
ReplyDeleteWhen discussing gambling, I have two very different opinions at the same time. I partially understand the gamblers - they want to play more and more, but on the other side, it is their choice; they haven’t been kidnapped and forced to gamble. A few years ago I once visited a gaming club, and even though I am not a type of person who likes gaming or gambling, I realized how easily our mind can get seized. I spent there around 7 euros, by throwing them one by one into a machine. Well, surprisingly, I didn’t win anything. However, the craving that this next try might be the lucky one kept me throwing into the machine more and more coins. I didn’t even realize that most of my friends left, I was so captivated by the game. Therefore, I can clearly imagine that it is not hard to set off such an addiction. However, I absolutely agree with Damian Thompson; if I would be addicted to gaming (or any other addictive activity), I could only blame myself.
I am not sure whether this could apply to all the cases, but I think that we shouldn’t consider something what we have caused, a disease. In my opinion, disease is something you do not choose to get. When someone starts smoking and his excuse is that he has a lot of stress at work, well, a cigarette will not end the stress, it is just the person´s idea, which he created. Besides, it is not the job that made him to start smoking, it was his own decision.
However, I do realize that addictions such as alcoholism, smokers or gamblers are a great problem in the today´s society and we should try to prevent them. How? The answer is simple; do not get influenced by others, and do not try dangerous things about which you know they might be addictive. No one has ever tried something for the first time and became addicted to it. It takes time, sometimes less, sometimes more, but it always takes some time to get addicted to something. Therefore you always have the second chance to decide, so don’t miss it ;)
I know people who refuse medical treatment of an unfavourable psychological state and also such who convince others of their self-diagnosis and ask for pills. Since the power of a placebo treatment can be the same as of true medicaments, I think that in order for a person receiving medical treatment to cure, he/she must be without doubt in its effect. In the case of addicts and severely depressed people I think the necessary precondition for a successful treatment is the patient’s desire to be cured. In fact, there are examples, one given directly by the author of the article, of people who have been subject to medical treatment over a long period of time but their state improved only after they took own action.
ReplyDeleteHere appears a place for discussion and critical thought whether it is wise to treat people as sick and make them feel in need of external help. As the author argues, this approach shows to be quite ineffective. An alternative is to make people take the whole responsibility for themselves. For many it is hard to fight alone and I admit that if we want to avoid the negative consequences, such as an increase in criminality and the number of suicidal attempts, we should help each other. However, we must realize that true help lies in giving the person a chance to make the right decision by themselves. Usually it takes a lot of time and mistakes to gain the willpower to change. For a new start, if takes to reach the deepest bottom in order to rebound from it.
I really agree with the author of the article that the realization of responsibility over individual actions and that every person is in charge of their destiny (in terms of free will) is crucial. I find it amazing that a person with first-hand experience of addiction can take a critical look at himself and analyze the situation with such a broad perspective to research the effects of the disease model of addiction contra the social pressure on the morality of the individual. I should admit that I have a tendency to underrate addicts, whether gamblers, alcoholics, smokers or people indulging themselves with excessive amounts of material goods, food or sex. Though, I am aware of my own addictions and I intentionally exercise my will in various situations since I want to loosen the power the secular needs practise over my free will. I do not want to sound like a hypocrite; I only tried to emphasize the importance of self-discipline.
However it can be argued we have no free will, and a physical addiction to hallucinogens is an example of the helplessness of its victim, I hold the belief that people need to learn being responsible. It is a way to maturity and wisdom. And we always have the choice to decide.