(A once-beautiful meth addict)
The American Medical Association's definition of disease is a condition that is chronic, progressive and fatal, if not arrested. The AMA classifies addiction as a disease because it meets these three criteria.
It's a shame, though, that addiction is being treated primarily by the legal system and is considered a legal and societal problem -- not a medical problem.
Society's idea of helping addicts is to lock them up. But what people don't realiize is that addicts get out of jail and are back out on the streets again. Only now the addicts are felons and parolees. They can't find jobs because no one wants to hire felons.
A large percent of the nonviolent offenders in the prison system are there because of addiction. Addicts have to steal to get their drugs. Drugs are like air for addicts, and just like we can't live without air, addicts can't live without their drugs.
No one wakes up at the age of 19 and says, "I think that I will become a drug addict. Heroine will be my drug of choice." This young person is exposed to peer pressure, bad parenting, and all kinds of abuse in and out of the home. No wonder she's an addict.
In a country where the government can bail out the banks and the car companies, why -- then -- can't they get a handle on addiction? It takes detox, treatment and follow-up, and these take money.
Most addicts haven't got the money to invest in comprehensive health insurance, and if you saw what an addict must endure in government-sponsored addiction care, you would be appalled. We treat dogs better.
Addiction is not an impossible problem. It just takes funding.
I wonder if The Donald would read this? Nah. . .
