Addictions

Hello world

An addiction, defined as severe substance abuse disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition), is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

It's a mental disorder, a state where the mind itself is compromised and disturbed. Therefore that affects the way the thoughts are made, the very core of our ideas. It can't be expected that a person in a state of addiction will act and understand things as she/he would normally do. The fact that many addicts deny their addiction and sometimes have illogical behaviours and actions is something to be expected.

It's a brain disease. It's something physical, not just an idea. It's not an opinion, it is something you can actually see. As you can see a broken bone with x-rays, you can also see how addictions can affect brain cells and activity. The problem is that as most people can't afford such brain exams and it's hard to find a place with medics willing to perform these procedures without a scientific reason, so most people think that most if not all mental disorders aren't real diseases for themselves but more a lack of will to get better, a demonstration of weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. These misconceptions are one of the main reasons that makes even harder to convince an addict to seek for help. Of course, a strong will is always helpful, but trying to cure oneself only using will can take decades and a lot of suffering more than what would it take by asking for professional help.

It's a compulsive seeking and use of a drug, despite harmful consequences, like a self-flagellation desire that can't be stopped, even if it's not pleasant anymore. It's the brain and the whole body that feels the hunger. Some drugs can even permanently damage the centers of pleasure in the brain so you can't feel pleasure with anything else anymore.

I think I've never been in that case. The most compulsive self-harassment I've done is eating my nails. I've been trying to quit it for decades but I still do it, yet i'ts more like a nervous tic than an addictive behavioral.
I have never smoked a single tobacco cigarette in my life. Smoking has killed and is currently killing several (more than enough) relatives in my family. I hate the smell of it and how smokers fill the streets with it's garbage and ashes.

I think that it would be better if many substances already forbidden by law become legal... but with a lot of restrictions and just to use at home or in special places designed to it. That would include tobacco and alcohol to be treated as equal drugs.
As legal and illegal drugs probably harm more people than vehicles then maybe a license to use could work too. If someone can pass a test that shows that he/she understands clearly the effects of the drug then you can give him a license to buy and use specific drugs (like truck licenses are different than car licenses but include car driving). That license can be cancelled in case of infraction because that show that the person can't handle the use of the drug.