Addiction: is it a disease or a choice? A disease can be described as “a structural or functional disorder that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific site and is not simply the direct result of a physical injury.” Knowing this, one may believe that addiction is a disease. It is something that is done frequently, that usually does not end, just like an illness; it cannot stop on its own, because it requires some form of treatment. The big question about addiction is why people believe it is a choice versus an illness. Addiction affects 40% of the population in the Western world (Lewis, Marc). There are many different types of addictions such as: food, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling or sexual aspects. When someone has an addiction to one of these things, the individual can suffer the consequences. If it were a food addiction, you would gain excessive weight, which is extremely unhealthy. Substance abuse is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome; some people never do. Tobacco is something unhealthy for the individual and the people around him. It can cause health problems, which can also lead to expensive healthcare bills. Gambling is not something one would want as an addiction. They may find themselves lying to get extra money to spend, and it can also be a reason to borrow and owe a lot of money to someone. Sexual addiction is difficult to overcome and can consume one's life. Families can be ruined by their own addiction. It usually never ends with positivity. What a person is addicted to is ingrained in their daily routine and sometimes happens without them realizing it. It can be defined as a compulsive activity. There are three categories…half of the document…will fail. Works Cited Kuhn, Sherri. “Babies born dependent: neonatal abstinence syndrome”. He knows parenting. May 20, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013. Levy, Neil. “Addiction Is Not a Brain Disease (and It Matters)” Frontiers in psychiatry, Vol 4. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013. Lewis, Marc. “Why addiction is NOT a brain disease.” The Public Library of Science-Science Blog Network. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2013. Leyton, Marco. “Are addictions diseases or choices?” Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Vol 38(4) pp. 219-221. July 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013. http://www.thecleanslate.org/myths/addiction-is-not-a-brain-disease-it-is-a-choice/