I partly agree however, like every thing else it is always a matter of degree. Some folks may be more pre-disposed to addiction than others and one can be addicted to most anything. Some folks quit smoking (for instance) and start eating more. This is a case of replacing one addiction for another which, to me, points to a basic mental pre-disposition which may be more pronounced in some than others. I think artists tend to be more prone to addiction as altering one's consciousnesses can open creative doors however, like anything else, constant use of mind altering substances will usually have the opposite effect. Well it DOES come down to 'personal responsibility' because only the addict can stop themselves from taking the addictive substance. That being said, severely addicted folks do need help in taking that responsibility.
Many folks eat more when they quit smoking due to the lack of nicotine. Nicotine decreases appetite which is why a lot of smokers gain weight when they quit.
Just because a doctor says it, doesn't make it so. Type 2 diabetes isn't an addiction, see the difference?
There is such a thing as addiction but it's classification as a disease is so people have an excuse for doing things that are bad for them. I was talking to a drunk one night as he went to jail, again, and he said, "It's not my fault. I'm an alcoholic. It's a disease." Bull(*)(*)(*)(*). Type one diabetics aren't responsible for their diabetes. If they continue to eat poorly, don't exercise, and refuse to take insulin, the results are certainly their responsibility and their "fault".
^I think you mean Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 you cannot control and it isn't the persons fault. Type 2 is mostly a result of poor diet and being overweight. I know people with Type 2 diabetes who have done nothing at all to change their lifestyles. Never mind they could get a limb amputated, hey, I'll keep eating all those chocolate biscuits!
But...but...chocolate is good. I'm 'addicted' to it. I substituted it for alcohol. Haven't had a drop in 2 years. Now I'm going to substitute chocolate for fruit. Then I'll be 'addicted' to fruit. I also 'addicted' myself to exercise. Now I can't start my day without a workout.
Spoken like a person who is speculating due to lack of understanding. An addiction causes the behavior. It does not justify it, but it does cause it. Addiction can run in families, and not just the impoverished, but the affluent as well. Addiction does not care how you were raised, where you live, how much money you make. Telling an alcoholic to not drink is akin to telling you to not breath. How long can you deny your compulsion to breath before you either pass out or give in and take a deep breath? You will never understand because you can't. Some things need to be experienced to understand. Trying to explain addiction to a non addict is like trying to explain to a virgin what it is like to have sex. They can think that they understand, but until they get laid they in reality have no clue. If it were just as simple as stopping, then there would be no such thing as addiction.
