Is Addiction Really a Choice?

Is addiction really a choice? This is obviously an interesting prompt.

You know, there was a time I thought that the only reason why people get addicted to a particular thing is simply because they lack self-control. No self-discipline at all, and they live their lives just as it pleases them. I was like, if you know this attitude is ruining your life, what happened to putting a stop to it? Is it hard to do? I felt it was so simple, and that was why I kept sounding that way.

But then, I kept growing and getting mentally mature, listening to the stories of others, and I was like, "Wow, addiction is far more than I thought." However, to this date, I believe that the first step into someone getting addicted to whatever, starts with a choice. You first desire and decide on doing it before it turns into addiction. You can't tell me that you woke up one day and boom, you were already addicted to alcohol or smoking or even pornography. You must have been curious and wanting to try it, from the first trial to infinity.

The thing is that what we start as a choice can grow into something that controls gradually, and that's the point where most people get stuck. It's common to see people who desire to stop certain habits; they could go as far as promising themselves or even fast and pray about the situation only to find themselves repeating it over and over, and I ask if it means they have failed.

I think it's not as simple as we think. This is because addictions change the way we think or behave. It makes us crave something difficult to overcome, and that's why addicts need support from friends or family to overcome it because for most of them, they can't fight it alone. However, an addict also has personal responsibility; he or she must first decide to break free even when they try and fail. It's just like accepting that you have a problem first, then identifying your problem before seeking a solution, but above all, it's important not to give up, regardless.

I have noticed how much we criticize addicts or even mock them, and no doubt addictions have a way of destroying a lot related to someone's life, but as a Christian, I believe we shouldn't condemn addicts but show them support and compassion; after all, Jesus came only for the sinners and not the righteous.

For anyone struggling with addiction, I don't think such a person needs blame or name-calling but rather encouragement and help for the person to break out.

So, is addiction really a choice? My opinion is that it's both a yes and no answer. The person's first decision to try out a habit is a choice, but the addiction itself might overpower him. So stopping it is also a choice, but yet, it requires support from others, as I explained above.

We should choose to know how they can break out rather than ask why they do not stop this habit.

*image was created using chatgpt"