IS THERE A SURGERY OR MEDICATION? –

June 4, 2024  – If addiction is a disease, why isn’t everyone in treatment? The origin of addiction is unique for each person, Dr. Bloch says. And both your underlying biology (nature) and your environment and choices (nurture) play a role. In fact, as much as half of addictions seem to be inherited, says Dr. Bloch, which makes the stigma even more confusion.

People struggling with addiction often avoid healthy, culturally appropriate behaviors and engage in harmful, dangerous activities to fill their “need,” explains Dr. Bloch.

This can include driving while intoxicated. Stimulants like cocaine can induce psychotic, paranoid and delusional behavior, and withdrawal from opiates can be so bad people commit crimes for a fix.

The common thread between addictions, Dr. Bloch says, is they disrupt activities that are beneficial and important in the person’s life, and often cause the disease to be viewed as a moral failing.

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